Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor is just over two months away. The promotion of the fight is now expected to enter new gear. The pair talked about what they would do to each other in the fight even before their bout was confirmed. However, recently, Chandler took it up a notch as he explained the tactics he would like to use against McGregor.
The former two-division champion has not entered the Octagon for almost three years. He fought Dustin Poirier in July 2021 at UFC 264 and broke his leg. Chandler believes Conor McGregor’s inactivity could be a huge factor.
MYSTIC MAC IS BACK 🔮🇮🇪@TheNotoriousMMA takes on @MikeChandlerMMA at 170lbs! #UFC303 pic.twitter.com/kt3a12qM6x
— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2024
During the ShawnRyanShow, Chandler said McGregor will not be “what he used to be” due to inactivity. He claimed, “I am the better fighter, I am the tougher fighter and I’m the guy who deserves it more.”
Chandler, however, has also been out of action for over a year. He also faced Dustin Poirier last and was on the losing end. Poirier made Chandler submit at UFC 281 in November 2022.
Michael Chandler hints at his gameplan for the fight against Conor McGregor
During the ShawnRyanShow, Chandler said, “I don’t need to be getting into a firefight with a guy who has got a bigger rifle than me. I think I hit harder than he does, I think… his time out of the cage has lent itself to his timing… movement… reflexes not being what they used to be.”
“From the first exchange [I’m gonna] hit him with big punches, make him second guess himself… pick him up, put him down… choke him if I want to. Go out there and get the finish,” he added.
Michael Chandler says that Conor McGregor will not be “what he used to be” due to inactivity, and believes he’s the better fighter between the two:
“I am the better fighter, I am the tougher fighter and I’m the guy who deserves it more.
I don’t need to be getting into a… pic.twitter.com/v94QACqOQl
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 22, 2024
Further, on his Instagram Q&A, Chandler gave some unhinged responses. He claimed that his fight against McGregor will be the biggest fight since UFC 229 main event between McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He said that he would put McGregor through “a beatdown of biblical proportions.”
‘Iron’ painted a gory picture of the beatdown. He said, “He’s going to start looking for the exit signs and I’m going to usher him right to it. I might even hold his hand on the way to the exit sign. I might even give him a little tap on the tush on the way outside of the exit signs. That’s the plan. In the second round: KO, TKO or I take his back, and I absolutely steal his soul through his esophagus.”
McGregor, on the other hand, is planning to use his disability to his advantage. The Notorious also opened up about how he wants to end the fight.
Conor McGregor hopes to headkick Michael Chandler with his “terminator” leg
Speaking with James Cordon via the This Life of Mine podcast, Conor McGregor revealed that he has a titanium rod in his leg now. He said, “I am Terminator now… I have a Titanium rod that goes into the knee and down to the bone, right down to my ankle.”
He wishes to kick his opponent with the same leg, “It’s unbreakable, I wish for and I will work for landing this kick with this steel bar in my leg against an opponent and get them out of there.”
Conor McGregor plans to put his ‘titanium shin’ to use via. head kick against Michael Chandler:
“I am Terminator now. I have a titanium rod that goes into the knee and down to the bone, right down to my ankle. It’s unbreakable… I wish for and I will work for landing this kick… pic.twitter.com/J9qyD401Wc
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 19, 2024
After months of build-up, McGregor vs. Chandler was finally officially announced by UFC CEO Dana White in a rather underwhelming fashion. However, the fight is expected to generate extraordinary interest. Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler will take place at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024, in the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada.