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Michael Chandler reveals dream fights: Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje if Conor McGregor clash is off

Michael Chandler reveals dream fights: Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje if Conor McGregor clash is off Former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler is still hanging around for a grudge fight with former two-weight champion, Conor…

Former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler is still hanging around for a grudge fight with former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor, however, the UFC veteran is still weighing up “dream” matchups against either Max Holloway, or former-foe, Justin Gaethje still.

Chandler, who currently holds the number six ranked lightweight challenger, has been sidelined for the last two years from the Octagon, most recently suffering a third round rear-naked choke submission loss to former interim champion, Dustin Poirier in the pair’s back-and-forth grudge fight.

And chasing a fight with former two-division titleholder, McGregor after featuring on The Ultimate Fighter with the Dubliner last year, Michael Chandler was finally booked to fight the former at UFC 303 at the end of June at the welterweight limit.

Daniel Cormier claims Michael Chandler has be respected for his UFC run

However, pulled from the card just weeks ahead of the matchup, Chandler was left without an opponent after McGregor fractured a toe on his left foot, however, is still hoping to fight the Crumlin fighter next – amid links to an end-of-year showdown at UFC 310.

Michael Chandler weighs up fights beyond Conor McGregor

Michael Chandler addresses failed Conor McGregor fight at UFC 303 he was never the safe bet

And weighing up his options in the form of rumored fights with current BMF titleholder, Holloway as well as prior opponent, Gaethje if a fight with McGregor fails to materialize, Chandler claimed a matchup with the Hawiian would be a fan-favorite battle,

“Max (Holloway) is one of the top ones on that list when it comes to who I would love to share the octagon with,” Michael Chandler told Lucky Block during a recent interview. “Justin Gaethje, fight of the year 2021, that’s another. Me and Max would absolutely make some bloody, violent magic inside of an octagon. It could have possibly happened at the Sphere, there were a bunch of different options being thrown out there, but rightfully Max wanted to go get that featherweight title. Me and Max make a lot of sense, that’s the one that excites me the most. And I think that’s something that will get the juices flowing of the fans as well.”

Max Holloway Touted To Dispatch Ilia Topuria At UFC 308: ‘That’s Gonna Be His Downfall…’

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently predicted that Max Holloway could defeat Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, provided “Blessed” keeps the fight focused solely on striking. Topuria is poised to defend his featherweight title for the first time against Holloway in the main event of a highly anticipated pay-per-view showdown scheduled for October 26 […]

Continue Reading Max Holloway Touted To Dispatch Ilia Topuria At UFC 308: ‘That’s Gonna Be His Downfall…’ at MMA News.

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently predicted that Max Holloway could defeat Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, provided “Blessed” keeps the fight focused solely on striking.

Topuria is poised to defend his featherweight title for the first time against Holloway in the main event of a highly anticipated pay-per-view showdown scheduled for October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“El Matador” captured the 145-pound championship this past February, becoming the first UFC champion from Spain by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Undefeated in the Octagon with a 7-0 record, he boasts five finishes, including impressive victories over Bryce Mitchell and Josh Emmett.

Meanwhile, Holloway is set for his third attempt to reclaim the featherweight title, which he lost to Volkanovski in December 2019, followed by two unsuccessful rematches. “Blessed” has since bounced back with three consecutive impressive victories, the latest being a dramatic last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje in a lightweight bout, earning him the BMF title at the landmark UFC 300 in April.

Thomson and McCarthy contend that despite Topuria’s formidable prowess, he will encounter significant difficulty in connecting his strikes against Holloway…

Thomson Sees Holloway As ‘Stylistically’ Challenging Opponent For Topuria

During a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, Thomson previewed the highly anticipated matchup between Topuria and Holloway. The former UFC lightweight fighter lauded “El Matador” for his exceptional striking abilities but pointed out that he will face significant challenges in chasing down the BMF titleholder and finding the right angles to land his shots.

“Max on the feet, what we saw with him against Justin Gaethje, he can handle the power, he can handle the movement, he can handle the aggressiveness,” Thomson said. “Topuria is going to stalk after him, he’s just going, and Max Holloway is going to be on his bike, sticking and moving, using that long-range jab right in his face… My point is that when Topuria is gonna start stalking after him, he’s gonna start taking those jabs in the opening rounds.”

“The Punk” added that although Topuria might be relentlessly pursuing the Hawaiian, he is likely to absorb some significant punishment in the process, which could prove decisive.

“He’s going to be reaching and lunging to get in on Max Holloway, and that’s going to be his downfall. He’s got fight IQ and knows how to use his movement, how to put his combinations together, and how to threaten the body as well as the head. He throws everything at you, including the kitchen sink, and it lands. He’s accurate with his strikes, with no wasted movements. He knows what he’s doing. Topuria, right now, I think is a fantastic fighter; I just think stylistically this is a bad matchup for him.”

Read More: Renato Moicano & Gilbert Burns Break Down Ilia Topuria’s Next Title Defense: ‘What’s He Gonna Do To Max Holloway? Let’s Be Honest!’

Continue Reading Max Holloway Touted To Dispatch Ilia Topuria At UFC 308: ‘That’s Gonna Be His Downfall…’ at MMA News.

Islam Makhachev Welcomes Title Fight with Max Holloway: ‘Let’s go, let’s do it.’

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is open to fighting Max Holloway next time out, should the Hawaiian defeat Ilia…

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is open to fighting Max Holloway next time out, should the Hawaiian defeat Ilia Topuria to become the featherweight champion at UFC 308.

Holloway is looking to reclaim his featherweight belt, and if he wins, Islam Makhachev wants the Hawaiian to move up to lightweight. Makhachev is looking for new contenders to fight at lightweight and he believes a bout against Holloway makes a lot of sense and would be a fun fight for the fans.

“Why not?” he said of a Holloway fight at a recent Q&A session (via MMAMania). “I already beat Arman. If UFC puts him next, that’s no problem. But, I’m not excited much [by Tsarukyan]. I need new name, new challenger. I already beat Arman. If Max wants, let’s do it. I don’t need his BMF belt, but Max is a good name. It’s going to be a crazy fight for the fans. If he beats Topuria — this is a hard match-up for him. If he beats him and UFC wants this match? Let’s go.”

Although many believe Arman Tsarukyan should be the next title contender at lightweight, Islam Makhachev is hopeful Max Holloway will win so he can have the super fight next time out.

Max Holloway called for Islam Makhachev bout before UFC 300

At UFC 300, Max Holloway moved up to lightweight to face Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt. In the scrap, Holloway had a ton of success and scored a fifth-round knockout over Gaethje.

Although Holloway is now moving back down to featherweight, he did show interest in a return to lightweight to face Makhachev.

“I saw Islam talk about, ‘Oh, this fight makes no sense,’ and blah, blah, blah,” Max said leading up to UFC 300. “Brother, you should’ve fought Justin in February. If I can go out there and get my hand raised as we plan on doing, there’s a lot of fights that can be there for us. And one of them being the 155 champ, which I think would be a fun one.”

Holloway, of course, was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title shot on short notice at UFC 223 but he was not medically cleared.

Islam Makhachev Welcomes Title Fight with Max Holloway: ‘Let’s go, let’s do it.’

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is open to fighting Max Holloway next time out, should the Hawaiian defeat Ilia…

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is open to fighting Max Holloway next time out, should the Hawaiian defeat Ilia Topuria to become the featherweight champion at UFC 308.

Although many believe Arman Tsarukyan should be the next title contender at lightweight, Islam Makhachev is hopeful Max Holloway will win so he can have the super fight next time out.

Max Holloway called for Islam Makhachev bout before UFC 300

At UFC 300, Max Holloway moved up to lightweight to face Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt. In the scrap, Holloway had a ton of success and scored a fifth-round knockout over Gaethje.

Although Holloway is now moving back down to featherweight, he did show interest in a return to lightweight to face Makhachev.

Holloway, of course, was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title shot on short notice at UFC 223 but he was not medically cleared.

Michael Chandler gives up on Conor McGregor: “I finally admit the fight is off”

Michael Chandler is finally ready to move on from Conor McGregor — or is he? The former Bellator champion…

Michael Chandler is finally ready to move on from Conor McGregor — or is he?

The former Bellator champion has been patiently waiting for nearly two years as McGregor’s quote-unquote “greatest comeback in combat sports history” continues to shift dates as often as the wind blows. In June, it appeared the wait would finally pay off as the two were scheduled to headline UFC 303 in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the fight never came to fruition after the Irishman bowed out due to of all things, a broken pinky toe.

Taking to social media, Chandler appears to have hit his breaking point, writing that “the fight is off” and claiming McGregor simply can’t cope with the reality of his career being over.

”Nevermind guys…I think it’s time I finally admit the fight is off,” Chandler wrote on X. “He’s still in stage 2 of the 7 of grief pertaining to his career being over. Figured he’d be closer to 5 by now. Godspeed @TheNotoriousMMA”

Conor McGregor happily swaps out Michael Chandler for Max Holloway

In response, McGregor didn’t appear too bothered by Chandler’s statement, suggesting that BMF titleholder Max Holloway would be a far more interesting opponent for his rumored return in December.

”? lol ok lil bro. Swapped out handy,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted post. “@BlessedMMA what you at December? The real bmf, you know.”

Chandler snapped back in short order, adding that Holloway is more focused on taking back the featherweight title.

”Max wouldn’t even fight me, let alone you…he wants the title. Don’t act like you hold the cards….swan song incoming,” Chandler quipped.

Holloway is currently scheduled to headline UFC 308 when the promotion heads back to Abu Dhabi in October. There, ‘Blessed’ will be the first fighter to challenge the current 145-pound champion, Ilia Topuria.

Holloway last competed at UFC 300 in April, scoring a buzzer-beating KO of Justin Gaethje to claim the BMF title. Holloway’s bragging rights belt doesn’t appear to be up for grabs at UFC 308, but if he can cut Topuria’s title reign short, he’ll become the first fighter in promotional history to hold the BMF and UFC championships simultaneously.

Conor McGregor vetos Michael Chandler fight, calls for Max Holloway at UFC 310

Amid continued links to a UFC 310 rescheduled pairing with Michael Chandler, former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor appears to…

Amid continued links to a UFC 310 rescheduled pairing with Michael Chandler, former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor appears to have changed his mind on the pairing – instead offering to fight BMF champion, Max Holloway in December – who is already booked to headline UFC 308.

McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight champion and featherweight gold holder, was scheduled to return from a three-year sidelining at UFC 303 at the end of June, taking on Chandler at the welterweight limit.

However, in the weeks ahead of his return, Dublin striker, McGregor confirmed he had suffered a fractured toe, and would be sidelined further.

Conor McGregor calls for Max Holloway fight at UFC 310

Expected to headline UFC 310 at the end of December in the promotion’s final flagship event of the annum, McGregor engaged in another spat with the previously noted, Chandler overnight on social media platform X – after the Bellator MMA alum appeared to call a halt to a pairing.

“Nevermind guys… I think it’s time I finally admit the fight is off,” Michael Chandler posted on his official X account. “He’s (Conor McGregor) still in stage 2 of the 7 of grief pertaining to his career being over. Figured he’d be closer to 5 by now. Godspeed @TheNotoriousMMA”

Michael Chandler says he "admits" the Conor McGregor fight is off

Conor McGregor responds by saying he'll swap him and fight Max Holloway in December instead#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/4v4Ezat5Vt

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 6, 2024

“? lol ok lil bro,” Conor McGregor replied. “Swapped out handy. @BlessedMMA what are you at December? The real BMF, you know.”

For Holloway, the Hawaiian made a lightweight return at UFC 300 in April, landing the symbolic BMF championship with a stunning, buzzer-beating knockout win over Justin Gaethje in a memorable stoppage win.

Booked earlier this week to headline UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, Holloway takes on unbeaten featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria in a championship charge at his former stomping ground.

McGregor first took on Holloway back in 2013 during his tenure at the featherweight limit, the Dublin counter striker landed a unanimous decision win over the Hawaiian in his sophomore Octagon outing.

Would you like to see Conor McGregor fight Max Holloway in a rematch?