Michael Chandler Confident He’s Still Conor McGregor’s Preferred Comeback Opponent: “I think I’m his top choice”
Michael Chandler believes he would be Conor McGregor’s first choice whenever the latter returns to the octagon.
Most recently, UFC CEO Dana White put a full stop to the much-awaited McGregor vs. Chandler matchup by stating that he’s not interested in making this fight happen anymore. Yet, ‘The Notorious’ still hopes to fight on June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House and has asked the UFC to match him up against any opponent.
Michael Chandler, on the other hand, also hopes to face the Irishman, and although his expectations were dashed, he refuses to lose faith until the promotion finalizes the White House card. Whether McGregor is matched against another opponent or not announced at all, Chandler believes his name remains firmly in the mix.
Michael Chandler believes he’s still Conor McGregor’s top choice
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, ‘Iron’ expressed confidence that he would be Conor McGregor’s top choice for a comeback fight, saying:
“When it comes to Conor’s love for the sport, he is more of a man of his word than people think he is. Yes, he’s flown off the handle a couple of times, and he’s done a couple of things here and there that make people question his decision-making. But I think he’s a man of his word.”
Chandler and McGregor served as opposing coaches on TUF 31 in 2023, and after the conclusion of the show, they were booked to headline UFC 303 in 2024. However, McGregor broke his toe and had to pull out.
Michael Chandler believes ‘The Notorious’ still wants to fight him to conclude The Ultimate Fighter 31 storyline. He added:
“I think he wants to fight me to end the Ultimate Fighter contract that we had, to make good on the promise that we had for June 29th of 2024, International Fight Week. The fight just makes sense. It’s a great matchup. He and I have been thinking about fighting each other for the better part of, what, three years now?”
The 39-year-old added:
“It’s a fight that just makes so much sense. It’s an explosive fight, and it’s an exciting fight… I think I’m his top choice. He’s my top choice… Neither of us are in as much control as we wish we were. We’ll see how it plays out after this weekend.”
Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below:
Dana White has confirmed that the matchmaking for the White House card will begin after UFC 324, and the entire lineup is expected to be finalized by the second week of February. Hence, fans will have to wait for a couple more weeks to see if ‘Mystic Mac’ will return and fight Michael Chandler.
