Michael Chandler was supposed to headline UFC 303 along with Conor McGregor, but the match got postponed as the Irishman suffered a foot injury and had to pull out. Chandler had been waiting for this clash since the two men signed up to coach on the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Chandler is open for new fights
While “Iron” is still confident that “The Notorious” will fight him this year, at the same time, he also stated that his legacy is not entirely dependent on the outcome of this match.
Recently, in an interview with Lucky Block, Chandler said, “I am an optimist by default, so I do believe the Conor fight will happen, but right now we are in a phase where things are being talked about. But as much as I respect Conor, my legacy is not hinged upon this fight.”
Chandler has achieved great success in his MMA career. Before joining the UFC, “Iron” was a 3-time Bellator lightweight champion. Since joining the UFC, Chandler has defeated fighters like Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson. While revealing his future plans, Chandler said that he is open to receiving a new fight offer and is currently keeping all options open for a potential new contract.
McGregor claims to return before 2024 ends
According to MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani, McGregor can potentially return on December 14, so Chandler can still hope for the highly anticipated fight to come to fruition. The “Mystic Mac” has himself confirmed that he will return before 2024 ends. However, some recent actions from the Irishman have made fans angry. He was seen drinking Forged Irish Stout Beer at a BKFC event and posted a video of himself on social media. Fans criticized McGregor about how unserious he is about his return and asked him to train instead of drinking beer.
Also Read: Jon Jones announces retirement plans amid Tom Aspinall’s callout
The Notorious has stated on several occasions that he still has 2 fights left in his contract. But now, the MMA community and Chandler himself seem to have lost interest in the fight as the wait has gone way too long. Only time will tell whether the former UFC champion really wants to return to fighting or is just all talks.
