Tag: Conor McGregor

‘Selfish’ UFC Should Compensate Michael Chandler for Stalled-Out Conor McGregor Fight

'Selfish' UFC Should Compensate Michael Chandler for Stalled-Out Conor McGregor FightBoxing legend Paulie Malignaggi thinks the UFC should compensate Michael Chandler for the last two years he sat on…

'Selfish' UFC Should Compensate Michael Chandler for Stalled-Out Conor McGregor Fight

Boxing legend Paulie Malignaggi thinks the UFC should compensate Michael Chandler for the last two years he sat on the sidelines waiting for a fight that was never going to happen.

At 38 years old, Chandler’s window to compete at the highest level is closing quickly. Unfortunately, the former Bellator champion spent the last couple of years banking on a fight with Irish megastar Conor McGregor. The two superstars coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter last year, but it was almost a year before they were finally booked to headline an event in Las Vegas.

Michael Chandler

Sadly, their UFC 303 scrap never came to fruition after McGregor bowed out of the bout weeks away from fight night due to, of all things, a broken pinky toe.

Michael Chandler

Frustrated, Chandler finally decided to move on, booking a rematch with former UFC lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden. And while ‘Iron’ is hopeful that his long-awaited fight with ‘Mystic Mac’ will still happen, there are those who think the UFC should pay him for all the time he spent sitting around instead of making the most of his twilight years in the fight game.

“I’d love for Chandler to be financially rewarded for waiting but I doubt it,” Malignaggi said in a recent interview with CanadaCasino.ca. “Who’s going to reward him? The UFC is run by the most selfish people. They underpay the fighters who fight — imagine how they treat the fighters who don’t. He should be compensated, but I’m not sure how they’d handle that. I think he deserves it, but he’s been waiting on the sidelines for this fight, and it’s just not going to happen for him.

“I feel for Chandler. Fighting is a tough way to make a living. It’s not easy. You get damaged, your best years pass by, and you can’t go back to reach the levels you want. When you get to the point where your best years are behind you, you’d hope for a big payday to make the rest of your life more comfortable. This struggle is common in combat sports” (h/t MMA News).

Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler places the blame on his shoulders

While Malignaggi certainly makes a point, Michael Chandler has repeatedly accepted responsibility for his actions, noting that at any time he could have called up the UFC and asked for a fight instead of holding out for his ‘red panty night’ against McGregor.

“No [there’s no more ill-will for McGregor],” Chandler told MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin. “Not any more than I had at the beginning. I don’t blame him for anything, I really don’t. The outsiders can look and say, ‘Man, he must hate Conor. Conor did this to him, Conor did that to him, the UFC did this to him.’ I did all this to myself.”

With McGregor still contracted for two more fights inside the Octagon, here’s to hoping that Chandler will still get the chance to cash a multi-million dollar check against the Irishman before wrapping up his mixed martial arts career.

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Conor McGregor Shredded by Michael Bisping for His ‘Douchebag’ Behavior During Joshua vs. Dubois Fight

Conor McGregor Shredded by Michael Bisping for His 'Douchebag' Behavior During Joshua vs. Dubois FightMichael Bisping and Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith were not amused by Conor McGregor’s “douchey” antics in London. The Irish megastar…

Conor McGregor Shredded by Michael Bisping for His 'Douchebag' Behavior During Joshua vs. Dubois Fight

Michael Bisping and Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith were not amused by Conor McGregor’s “douchey” antics in London.

The Irish megastar was sitting ringside at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night for the highly anticipated scrap between Anthony Joshua and current IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois. Unsurprisingly, McGregor made a spectacle of himself, strutting into the arena with an unlit cigar sticking out of his mouth and jumping out of his chair during Dubois’ stunning fifth-round KO of ‘AJ’ to retain his title.

Conor McGregor

Analyzing McGregor’s behavior during a recent episode of their Believe You Me podcast, Bisping and Smith absolutely shredded the former two-division titleholder.

“Conor, you would have thought that he was a big Daniel Dubois fan because when Joshua was getting those [punches], he was out of his seat,” Bisping said. “Maybe the cigar might have even got lit. Walking in with a big cigar, unlit, between the teeth. How do we feel about that? Because two words spring to mind right now: Douche. Bag” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Anthony Smith wishes he was ‘Five Percent as cool as [Conor McGregor] thinks he is’

Anthony Smith stopped himself from completely trashing McGregor but questioned some of the Irishman’s more interesting choices regarding how he presents himself to the world.

“I don’t know what happens to people or when you change or how much money you have to have to start doing weird, douchey shit like that,” Smith said. “Like, how rich do you have to be to wear your sunglasses inside 24/7. For what? I wish I was five percent as cool as he thinks he is. Like, how do you get to be so cool? I don’t know, I don’t get it. And I don’t want to just talk sh*t on Conor, but come on, bro. Come on.”

Conor McGregor

McGregor has been spotted just about everywhere over the last three years except for the Octagon where. His last time competing came all the way back in July 2021 when he suffered a broken leg in the first round of his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier.

He was scheduled to headline UFC 303 in Las Vegas on June 29, but a broken pinky toe prompted him to bow out of the bout. Now with his purported opponent, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler, finally moving on and booking a rematch with Charles Oliveira in November, it’s unclear when or if we’ll ever actually see McGregor fight again.

Conor McGregor

‘Bro Sent Himself An Email’ – Fans Unconvinced With Conor McGregor Showing Receipts Of ‘Negative’ PED Tests

A recent social media post from Conor McGregor on X was yet another example of him stating that he is ready to return to the Octagon. In a since-deleted image, “The Notorious” shared a screenshot from an email that was sent from Drug Free Sport International on September 23. Anyone who has seen a drug […]

Continue Reading ‘Bro Sent Himself An Email’ – Fans Unconvinced With Conor McGregor Showing Receipts Of ‘Negative’ PED Tests at MMA News.

A recent social media post from Conor McGregor on X was yet another example of him stating that he is ready to return to the Octagon.

In a since-deleted image, “The Notorious” shared a screenshot from an email that was sent from Drug Free Sport International on September 23.

Anyone who has seen a drug test result confirmation email from this organization before knows that this is usually what they look like.

The email states, with a specific sample number, that McGregor’s recent test on September 13 has returned negative results when checking for performance enhancing drugs.

“The Mac” shared this image with the following caption after it was recently announced that his long-awaited fight with Michael Chandler will not be happening next.

“Most tested athlete on the @ufc roster x2. I deserve my fight date! #CleanAthlete”

MMA Fans React To Conor McGregor’s Negative Test Results

Though the post has since been deleted by McGregor, the fans still weighed in with their thoughts on social media via responding to the original post and several others.

Many were sceptical about the Irishman’s email and the negative test results.

“Bro sent himself an email”

“[email protected]”

“For some reason it’s funny to think of Conor just opening up something in Gmail like the rest of us.”

“Bro has whiskey and beer running through his veins.”

“If he’s clean then I’m Jesus. With his money you buy from the best chemists.”

“Calling for fights while constantly partying and traveling, after you pulled out of your scheduled fight because of a pinky toe. Dude is insufferable”

“Ill watch him fight but idk if he should anymore, just ride off into the sunset already. You’ve won.”

Read also: BKFC President ‘100 Percent’ Confident Of Bare-Knuckle Future For Conor McGregor: ‘Why Wouldn’t You?’ 

Continue Reading ‘Bro Sent Himself An Email’ – Fans Unconvinced With Conor McGregor Showing Receipts Of ‘Negative’ PED Tests at MMA News.

‘Selfish’ UFC Told To Financially Compensate Michael Chandler For Conor McGregor Wait

According to one longtime rival of Conor McGregor’s, Michael Chandler is owed a lot by the UFC for his lengthy stint on the sidelines. By the time Chandler enters the Octagon again, it will have been two years since his most recent outing. The former Bellator champion started life on MMA’s biggest stage in rapid […]

Continue Reading ‘Selfish’ UFC Told To Financially Compensate Michael Chandler For Conor McGregor Wait at MMA News.

According to one longtime rival of Conor McGregor’s, Michael Chandler is owed a lot by the UFC for his lengthy stint on the sidelines.

By the time Chandler enters the Octagon again, it will have been two years since his most recent outing. The former Bellator champion started life on MMA’s biggest stage in rapid fashion, but that trend has certainly dipped in recent times.

That’s no doubt down to one man, “The Notorious” McGregor. His comeback was announced toward the start of 2023, with the Irishman confirmed to be coaching opposite Chandler on The Ultimate Fighter before their own clash inside the cage at the end of the season.

But the finale came and went, as did multiple rumored fight dates and an official booking at UFC 303 this past June. Chandler remained steadfast in his desire to wait for McGregor, in spite of plenty urging him to move on.

Finally, confirmation that the Dubliner won’t return until 2025 has seen Chandler accept a different assignment, running it back with former UFC lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 this November.

With that five-round rematch inside Madison Square Garden, Chandler has the chance to reignite his title ambitions, which took a hit when he was submitted by Dustin Poirier last time out in late 2022.

One man who has had his fair share of back and forth with McGregor, however, doesn’t think Chandler is getting enough for his troubles…

McGregor Rival Calls For Chandler To Be Financially Rewarded For Patience

During a recent interview with CanadaCasino.ca, former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi gave his assessment of the situation between McGregor and Chandler.

Malignaggi has long had strong feelings when it comes to the former, with the pair having animosity between them stemming back to the release of sparring footage that appeared to show McGregor knocking “Magic Man” down in 2017.

The ex-boxer evidently has similar views on the UFC as he slammed the promotion for ‘underpaying’ its fighters. And because of that, he doesn’t expect Chandler to be getting the kind of compensation he believes “Iron” deserves.

“I’d love for Chandler to be financially rewarded for waiting but I doubt it. Who’s going to reward him? The UFC is run by the most selfish people. They underpay the fighters who fight — imagine how they treat the fighters who don’t,” Malignaggi said. “He should be compensated, but I’m not sure how they’d handle that. I think he deserves it, but he’s been waiting on the sidelines for this fight, and it’s just not going to happen for him.

“I feel for Chandler. Fighting is a tough way to make a living. It’s not easy. You get damaged, your best years pass by, and you can’t go back to reach the levels you want,” Malignaggi continued. “When you get to the point where your best years are behind you, you’d hope for a big payday to make the rest of your life more comfortable. This struggle is common in combat sports.”

While it remains to be seen whether Chandler will be getting anything additional for the ultimately unsuccessful wait he endured, perhaps he’s more likely to be given his targeted title shot in 2025 should he avenge his past loss to Oliveira come fight night at MSG later this year.

Continue Reading ‘Selfish’ UFC Told To Financially Compensate Michael Chandler For Conor McGregor Wait at MMA News.

Top 5 Most Iconic Moments in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Career

Top 5 Most Iconic Moments in Khabib Nurmagomedov's CareerIn the eyes of many, Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of, if not the greatest mixed martial artists of all…

Top 5 Most Iconic Moments in Khabib Nurmagomedov's Career

In the eyes of many, Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of, if not the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.

Walking away from the sport in 2020 amid an impressive 29-0 run and a UFC lightweight world title reign, ‘The Eagle’ has continued to have a significant impact in the sport through those he trains — most notably the UFC’s current 155-pound champion, Islam Makhachev. Nurmagomedov has also helped his cousins, Usman and Umar Nurmagomedov achieve greatness in the cage.

The former is the reigning Bellator lightweight champion while the latter is the UFC’s No. 2 ranked bantamweight and is the odds-on favorite to challenge new titleholder Merab Dvalishvili.

But we’re not here to talk about their accomplishments. Today, we look back at the five greatest moments of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s illustrious career.

No. 5 – ‘The Eagle’ Makes his Debut at UFC 148

When talking about the best moments in Nurmagomedov’s career, it’s probably best to start at the very beginning. On July 7, 2012, ‘The Eagle’ introduced himself to fight fans at UFC on FX 1 against WEC veteran Kamal Shalorus.

Nurmagomedov put on a relentless pace from the get-go and dominated the ‘Prince of Persia’ before finishing things just past the two-minute mark of the third round with a rear-naked choke. It was just the first of 13 total fights Nurmagomedov would win inside the Octagon, including seven finishes.

No. 4 – Khabib Chokes out ‘The Diamond’

After securing a successful defense of the UFC lightweight championship 11 months prior, Nurmagomedov returned to headline UFC 242 against a streaking Dustin Poirier at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi — otherwise known as Fight Island. The Diamond’ went into the bout riding a massive wave of momentum, earning wins over Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and Max Holloway.

Many thought that Poirier’s impeccable boxing skills would get the job done against the Dagestani’s grapple-heavy attack. Unfortunately for fans of Poirier, that was not the case.

Khabib dominated the fight with his relentless pressure and smothering top game before finally forcing the Lafayette, Louisiana native to tap out before the halfway point of the third round. With Poirier walking into the bout as the interim lightweight champion, ‘The Eagle’ successfully unified the belts and further established himself as one of the P4P best in the world.

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No. 3 – Dominating Michael Johnson

Though it was his eighth career fight inside the Octagon, Khabib Nurmagomedov had not quite reached superstar status — until this fight.

At the time, Johnson had established himself as a formidable foe going 5-2 in his last seven fights, including wins over Joe Lauzon, Gleison Tibau, Edson Barboza, and Dustin Poirier. However, he was no match for the Dagestani. As Johnson tried to let his hands go, Nurmagomedov took ‘The Menace’ down swiftly and completely overwhelmed the American on the mat.

While in top control, ‘The Eagle’ infamously yelled at Dana White cageside, lobbying for a UFC title fight in the middle of a scrap. Nurmagomedov’s ability to nullify an elite striker while simultaneously negotiating with the promotion’s CEO made the undefeated star must-see TV overnight.

No. 2 – Nurmagomedov Retires Undefeated

Nurmagomedov’s final career fight came against one of the UFC’s most celebrated strikers, Justin Gaethje. ‘The Highlight’ earned his shot via a five-round shellacking of former interim titleholder Tony Ferguson at UFC 249. Gaethje hoped to deliver a similar performance, but ‘The Eagle’ had other plans.

Despite carrying the heartache of losing his father three months prior, Nurmagomedov was on top form during their UFC 254 headliner in Abu Dhabi.

As he’d done so many times before, Nurmagomedov’s relentless pressure right out of the gate put Gaethje into survival mode early. 94 seconds into the second round, things came to an end after ‘The Eagle’ seamlessly transitioned into a triangle choke and put Gaethje to sleep.

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Following the win, an emotional Nurmagomedov announced to the world that he was officially retiring from the sport, vowing to never fight again following the loss of his father. He walked away with a perfect 29-0 record and three title defenses against three of the absolute best fighters the lightweight division has ever seen.

No. 1 – Khabib Throws Down with Conor McGregor

This one should come as no surprise.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor was without a doubt the most anticipated fight in UFC history. It was just a battle between the two biggest names in the lightweight division — it was a clash of larger-than-life superstars who had completely dominated the competition up to that point. Adding to the intrigue of their matchup was the all-too-real hatred between the two combatants.

Long before the two titans stepped into the Octagon at UFC 229, McGregor and Nurmagomedov made headlines after the Irishman and his entourage infamously attacked a bus they believed was carrying the Dagestani. McGregor launched a dolly into one of the vehicle’s windows, shattering a glass that caused both injury and trauma to fighters onboard, including ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas and Michael Chiesa.

Once the two were locked inside the cage, it was clear that Nurmagomedov was levels above the former two-division titleholder. ‘The Eagle’ dominated the action from the opening bell up until the moment he forced ‘Mystic Mac’ to tap out via a rear-naked choke at the 3:03 mark of round four. Of course, the fight was far from done.

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Immediately after winning, Nurmagomedov hopped the fence and went after McGregor’s corner — specifically the Irish megastar’s BJJ coach, Dillon Danis, who had been talking trash to Nurmagomedov from the sidelines.

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McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov had everything. Drama, chaos, technical mastery, and the highest of stakes. That’s why their iconic clash in Las Vegas is still one of the highest gates in UFC history and the hottest-selling pay-per-view of all time, securing 2.4 million buys.

Michael Chandler Responds To Fan Who Says Conor McGregor Ducked Him: ‘I Knew All Along…’

Michael Chandler has spent a long time talking about Conor McGregor, his actions outside of the cage and whether their fight was going to happen or not. After the many months of trying to focus on himself, this ended up paying off once it was announced that the fight wouldn’t be next for “Iron” Mike. […]

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Responds To Fan Who Says Conor McGregor Ducked Him: ‘I Knew All Along…’ at MMA News.

Michael Chandler has spent a long time talking about Conor McGregor, his actions outside of the cage and whether their fight was going to happen or not.

After the many months of trying to focus on himself, this ended up paying off once it was announced that the fight wouldn’t be next for “Iron” Mike.

He will instead face Charles Oliveira in a rematch over five rounds at Madison Square Garden, for UFC 309.

Given the number of times McGregor has teased an imminent UFC return, it would be understandable that his opponent would be left with a bad taste in his mouth.

However, a recent post from Chandler on social media points to the idea that he isn’t frustrated after waiting all this time, only for the fight to not happen.

It also appears that Chandler doesn’t hold any hard feelings towards McGregor for this period of his career where he has been left to his own devices.

Michael Chandler Says That The Conor McGregor Fight Not Happening Is ‘Water Under The Bridge’

A fan on X tagged Chandler and McGregor in a post, claiming that in the middle of this major news cycle, it has been left out that “The Notorious” ducked the fight.

This isn’t the way that “Iron” Mike sees the outcome as is apparent in his response.

Chandler suggests that the fight taking place was always something that he had reservations about, but that doesn’t mean he is letting it bother him.

Instead, he hopes to take positives away from this time off, having spoken about changing his mindset by reflecting on his previous fights and looking at where he wants to be.

“Water under the bridge. I knew all along it was a long shot…I took the time to calibrate and plan this Chandler 2.0 season.”

Read also: Jon Anik Outlines ‘Silver Lining’ For The UFC After Sean O’Malley’s Title Loss

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Responds To Fan Who Says Conor McGregor Ducked Him: ‘I Knew All Along…’ at MMA News.