Michael Chandler – a career lightweight, admits that if he manages to overcome former duel-weight champion, Conor McGregor in spectacular fashion in their expected clash later this year, he would welcome a future shot at welterweight gold under the UFC banner.

Chandler, who featured as an opposing coach on The Ultimate Fighter 31 earlier this year, is expected to make a welterweight division return for the first time since early in his gold-laden career later this year, in a tangle against Dublin striker, McGregor. 

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Currently holding the #5 rank in the official lightweight pile, Missouri veteran, Chandler competed for vacant division spoils back in May 2021 against Charles Oliveira, winning the opening round and dropping the Brazilian before suffering a second round knockout loss of his own.

Michael Chandler welcomes possible welterweight title pursuit

Previously noting his interest in a future lightweight championship outing against division kingpin, Islam Makhachev, Chandler has not ruled out the idea of a welterweight championship siege in the future – a division which is currently topped by Birmingham favorite, Leon Edwards.

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“I wouldn’t be opposed [to a welterweight championship fight],” Michael Chandler said during an interview with Thiccc Boy. “It depends on if it was the right matchup at 170 [pounds]. Colby (Covington) would be a good fight. I would love that Colby fight. I love the idea of a (Jorge) Masvidal fight, I wish him well in retirement.” 

“I love that fight,” Michael Chandler explained. “(Nate) Diaz, I’m sure is gonna end up coming back [to the UFC], he’ll fight at 170 [pounds]. There’s some cool, big, fun fights out there too if I don’t get the title shot. But, like I said, I don’t think I deserve a title shot necessarily. If they [the UFC] give it to me, I ain’t saying no.” 

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Sidelined since November of last year, Chandler most recently featured on the main card of uFC 281 at Madison Square Garden, suffering an eventual third round rear-naked choke submission loss to former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier.