Amidst growing speculation on whether McGregor vs. Chandler even happens, ‘Iron’ Mike is throwing some heat at ‘The Notorious’ over social media.
We’re still waiting on the UFC to announce the main event for their historic 300th pay-per-view event on April 13th. Oddswise, it seems like Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya is the most likely match-up. But if UFC brass can’t seal that deal, will they break the emergency glass and make Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler happen?
Both McGregor and Chandler have repeatedly campaigned to fight at UFC 300. Unfortunately, bean-counters within the promotion would rather have two guaranteed million-plus pay-per-view events than one. Those same bean-counters may be starting to think Michael Chandler isn’t the most financially prudent choice for Conor’s return.
At UFC 297, UFC CEO Dana White sounded not so certain that “Iron Mike” would be McGregor’s opponent in the end. That’s a bit silly considering an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter was filmed to build up the rivalry. Now Chandler is coming out firing shots at Mac on X (formerly Twitter).
What it looks like when you stand in front of a man that is steadfast and immovable. Watch the happy-go-lucky nervous tension in him. Who backs out of the pocket first? Are we friends @TheNotoriousMMA ? pic.twitter.com/VluWu9wt6q
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) January 29, 2024
“What it looks like when you stand in front of a man that is steadfast and immovable,” he wrote above a video clip from TUF where the two faced off. “Watch the happy-go-lucky nervous tension in him. Who backs out of the pocket first? Are we friends Conor?”
“I haven’t seen clips from TUF31 in a while, I’ve been busy. But I remember,” he continued. “I did a lot of studying in the 5 weeks in Vegas. Sub-par at best.”
In his last tweet, Chandler referenced the endless delays getting the fight put together.
“I get it. He’s coming off an injury,” he wrote. “So that said, now that McGregor is healthy… the question is, why wouldn’t it be UFC 300? It’s been 2.5 years… Get off the yacht kid…”
We’re not holding our breath for Mac vs. Mike on UFC 300. We are hoping the fight ends up happening in the first half of 2024. Even that isn’t for certain as the UFC continues to waffle on McGregor’s return, even as their biggest star is ramping up the pressure and demanding a date.