Exclusive Interview with Michael Chandler: Conor McGregor’s Reliability in Question

UFC light-weight star Michael Chandler slams Conor McGregor as soon as once more as ‘The Infamous One’s’ probabilities of returning to the octagon proceed to slim after his fixed troubles exterior of the octagon.

He additionally adopted up on his problem to Former UFC Welterweight champ Colby Covington after he suffered a loss to Joaquin Bucley over the weekend.

Chatting with Fortunate Block, Chandler stated:

Conor McGregor’s UFC is return now a 50/50 likelihood

Conor McGregor has six months to return – or I’m combating another person

Me and Conor McGregor will give the followers what they need

McGregor’s damage price UFC cash – he’s gone from most to least dependable

Me combating Paddy Pimblett is a matter of time – it is going to be large

Islam Makhachev is best in each space than Arman Tsarukyan

By no means say by no means relating to combating Colby Covington at 170

Jorge Masvidal could be a blockbuster struggle – I win in a dominant trend

Conor McGregor’s UFC is return now a 50/50 likelihood

I might put Conor McGregor coming again to the UFC at 50/50 proper now. That’s my expectation and also you’re speaking to a man who had assurances behind the scenes to know that he was going to return again.

Then he got here again and signed a contract. I noticed the contract, I signed the contract that had my identify on it. June twenty ninth T-Cellular Enviornment, Las Vegas.

We received 13 days earlier than the struggle clearly and he needed to pull out with an damage. With that being stated clearly Chandler versus McGregor must occur in some unspecified time in the future.

We’ve got to complete the Final Fighter 31 and as Connor stated on his tweet the opposite day, he’s a person of his phrase and desires to struggle me. I feel that’s a struggle the followers need. 

If he does come again, who’s he gonna struggle that there’s already some historical past with? We’ve received the Final Fighter. 

Clearly, I’ve now thrown my identify into the higher threshold of the blokes that individuals wish to see struggle. Followers know that on any given Saturday night time, in any given enviornment, I’ll put butts in seats, I’ll blow the roof off of the world, and I’ll get the struggle of the night time. 

So it’s a enjoyable struggle, it’s an thrilling struggle, however I’d nonetheless give it a 50-50 proper now. But when he does come again, he’s going to be combating me.

Conor McGregor has six months to return – or I’m combating another person

If Conor doesn’t come again within the first-half of 2025, I can be combating another person. There are different fights I’m desirous about. I didn’t struggle for 2 years however that wasn’t all ready, I wished to take a while and provides my physique a break after my first 5 fights within the promotion which included a title struggle and struggle of the nights and the struggle of the yr.

My physique wanted a little bit little bit of a break and I used to be joyful to. A part of me was hanging onto this Conor factor but in addition sort of a little bit little bit of gamesmanship, having fun with the day without work, letting my physique heal up a little bit bit.

It was all supposed to return to fruition with a extremely nice efficiency, getting my hand raised in opposition to Charles, changing into the primary contender, combating for the title. Clearly that didn’t work out, however we proceed to press on it doesn’t matter what.

Me and Conor McGregor will give the followers what they need

Tweeting and deleting has turn into his factor, he likes to maintain individuals on the sting of their seats and maintain individuals intrigued.

He is aware of when he throws a tweet on the market or he throws any sort of opinion on the market and even simply when he’s in public, he is aware of individuals are watching and taking discover.

We don’t have a lot of a relationship. However relating to the respect that we’ve got for one another, I’m by no means gonna be the man who’s gonna kick him whereas he’s down. 

I’m by no means gonna be the man who’s gonna be speaking a bunch of trash and throwing a bunch of shade. Nevertheless it’s not simply unique to Connor both. You haven’t actually seen me be that man anyway for lots of the blokes that I struggle. 

I’ve received a ton of respect for the blokes that do what I do. Whether or not they depart their households or they go into a special place of their thoughts and coronary heart for 12 weeks and prepare for a struggle and go lay on the road and courageous bodily hurt. 

There’s a ton of respect that I’ve for everyone on this sport. However with Connor and I, if the struggle occurs, the struggle occurs. I maintain no unwell will towards him in any respect. I feel we wanna give the followers what they need and what they want.

Folks can act like they’re not desirous about Connor coming again. They’ll act like they don’t wish to watch him. They’ll act like he’s over the hill and he’s a thousand completely different names. 

However when he exhibits up and I present up and that cage door locks, you’ll have already bought the pay-per-view and you can be on the sting of your seat for some nonstop motion.

Conor McGregor’s damage price the UFC cash – he’s gone from most dependable within the sport to unreliable

I look out for the enterprise of Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor appears out for the enterprise of Conor Gregor and the UFC are looking for the enterprise of the UFC.

I’ve gone on document and used the phrase unreliable for Conor when he was probably the most dependable guys within the sport. 

Connor was that man who stepped in when Jose Aldo pulled out, it was a well-known story that he had by no means pulled out of a struggle or missed weight, hastily that modified when he pulled out of our struggle.

The UFC misplaced cash, I’m positive that they took some flack for the struggle falling by means of and altering the cardboard at brief discover, in addition to having to pay more cash for individuals to step in at brief discover.

There’s a bunch of various enterprise issues occurring as a result of reserving a struggle within the UFC is a activity. Reserving an enormous struggle is a really powerful activity, however reserving a struggle with Conor McGregor is a really, very, very distinctive activity.

I perceive the implications. I perceive that it’s not similar to reserving one other struggle and I’m right here for the journey. If it really works out, it really works out. If it doesn’t, my legacy just isn’t tied to Conor. 

My legacy just isn’t tied with combating Conor and I’ve nonetheless received quite a lot of tread left on the tires and quite a lot of huge fights to return.

Me combating Paddy Pimblett is a matter of time – it is going to be large

I’ve quite a lot of respect for Paddy Pimblett, he and I are very cordial and it’s been documented how I congratulated him after bearing Tony Ferguson.

We’ve got an excellent relationship, however clearly, if we get matched up in opposition to one another, the objective is to go on the market and inflict bodily hurt.

Paddy versus myself is gonna occur in some unspecified time in the future, I’m unsure when, however that’s positively a struggle that pursuits me. It’s positively a struggle that might be enjoyable for the followers. 

It could make individuals really feel one thing. Paddy the Baddy, what he stands for, who he’s, myself, what I stand for, who I’m, each of our struggle types. 

Chandler versus Paddy, it feels like a enjoyable one, and it’ll positively occur. Is it subsequent? I don’t know, nevertheless it positively could possibly be. Yeah, that might be completely large.

By no means say by no means relating to combating Colby Covington

By no means say by no means relating to a struggle with Colby. I’ve made it very clear. I don’t like making 155, I like fights at 170 and to me, Colby is a 155er who doesn’t wish to minimize a lot weight. 

He isn’t an enormous man and I wager him and I weigh inside a few kilos of one another once we are at our heaviest.

I feel that struggle occurs in some unspecified time in the future, if Conor isn’t coming again then Paddy Pimblett is a good possibility however the London card may come too quickly for us so possibly Vegas in the summertime time.

Then possibly it’s me vs Colby, Masvidal has thrown my identify out and Max Holloway is coming as much as the light-weight division. Let’s get the BMF belt on the road.

Jorge Masvidal could be a blockbuster struggle – I win in a dominant trend

When the Conor struggle fell by means of I used to be sort of in limbo and attempting to determine what was subsequent, then we had Jorge Masvidal speaking about me in interviews.

Jorge is a man that I respect and I feel that might be a blockbuster struggle. I’ve been put into this place and into this realm the place it’s gotta be the largest fights or it’s gotta be placing me within the subsequent line to the title struggle. 

Jorge Masvidal strikes the needle. Conor McGregor strikes the needle. These are huge fights in opposition to huge opponents which can be going to promote pay-per-views in huge arenas and that’s the place that I’m at proper now.

I’m simply having fun with the journey however I feel I’ll go on the market and I feel I completed Masvidal in a dominant trend. Don’t overlook that he was the unique BMF. So possibly knock out the previous BMF, struggle the brand new BMF after which turn into the BMF in some unspecified time in the future within the subsequent 12 months.

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Government Author, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a ardour for Fight Sports activities and likewise a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s additionally a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.

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