SUMMARY
- Conor McGregor is scheduled to make his return at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler.
- The welterweight clash between the two superstars will take place on June 29, 2024.
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is official for the upcoming UFC 303. UFC President Dana White confirmed the news during the UFC 300 press conference. However, judging by the caliber of fighters involved, many thought the announcement was slightly underwhelming. Regardless, fans are still excited about the bout mostly because they want to know which version of “The Notorious One” will show up on June 29, 2024.
When Dana White announced that McGregor and Chandler would go up against each other as the coaches of TUF 31, fans were desperate to know when the two would eventually fight. The show started airing in May 2023 and ended in August 2023. After that, fans were tired of waiting around for the bout and abandoned all hope of seeing the match-up happen. Even Dana was unsure about the timeline as he added that Conor’s availability was the issue.
MYSTIC MAC IS BACK 🔮🇮🇪@TheNotoriousMMA takes on @MikeChandlerMMA at 170lbs! #UFC303 pic.twitter.com/kt3a12qM6x
— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2024
But, now that the fight is official, the question amongst MMA fans is who will win the bout? The first-ever UFC double champ has not had a fight since July 2021 and both of his last two bouts against Dustin Poirier ended in losses. Michael Chandler, on the other hand, has fought 5 times since January 2021. Although he lost 3 of them Chandler does not have ring rust and he has put up great bouts against the likes of Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Charles Oliveira.
Michael Chandler will have a significant advantage over McGregor at UFC 303
It is not a controversial statement to make that Michael Chandler will make the walk against Conor McGregor at UFC 303 as the favorite. First, let’s take a look at Chandler’s recent record and his overall attributes. The 37-year-old is a former two-time Bellator Lightweight Champion and he made his UFC debut against Dan Hooker in January 2021. It took him only 2:30 minutes to KO Hooker and start his UFC run with a win.
After that, he had close contests against both Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje at UFC 262 and UFC 268. He fought for the 155lbs championship at UFC 262 against Oliveira and fared quite well until the devastating TKO. And, he went the entire three rounds against Gaethje at UFC 268 and it was later labeled as the 2021 ‘Fight of the Year’. In the two bouts, Michael landed a combined 133 punches and went toe to toe with the elite of the division at an exhilarating pace.
On top of that, Chandler is also an NCAA Division I wrestler and was the captain of the wrestling team of the University of Missouri. Although he does not use his grappling much, Chandler still has the option of taking the fight to the ground if he wants. In his MMA career, the Tennesse resident has 7 submission wins. Considering McGregor has 4 submission losses in his career, it bodes well for Chandler that he is an elite wrestler.
In May 2023, Dustin Poirier also weighed in on the McGregor vs Chandler match-up. He added, “I think that if Conor comes back anything like he was, with his timing and rhythm, with the injury that he had and this long of a lay-off – and we’re not getting any younger either… if he comes back similar to who he was before he left, I think he stops Michael Chandler… If Conor is who he was before the injury and stuff, I think two rounds; I think the fight’s over in two rounds.” (h/t The Independent)
“The Diamond” certainly has a point! After breaking his leg at UFC 264, Conor went through an extensive recovery period. While he has been back in training for more than a year now, Conor is yet to test himself out in the cage. The Dublin native has also started a potential movie career after starring in Road House (2024).
So it will not be easy to hang in with Chandler who has been swimming with the sharks at lightweight for nearly 3 years now. On top of that, two TKO losses at UFC 257 and UFC 264 will definitely have hurt Conor’s confidence as well!
Conor McGregor still has a passion for fighting
There is no doubt that the odds are stacked against Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 303. However, he is still the man who KO’ed Jose Aldo in 13 seconds to win the featherweight title and TKO’ed Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to become the first man to hold two UFC titles at the same time. While history holds little value inside the Octagon, one just can’t simply rule out the impact that the 35-year-old has had during his prime.
Even after a successful Hollywood debut, Conor still has a passion for fighting. During his promotional tour for “Road House,” the former lightweight champ added that fighting was his main priority over acting. He added, “Right now… hopefully I get a fight date booked. I’m looking to compete a couple of times by the end of the year. I’d love 2 fights in by the end of the year…But for me, my game inside that octagon is far from over.” (h/t via Sportskeeda)
Conor McGregor was asked about his plans going forward in Hollywood. His answer:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 12, 2024
“There’s potentially maybe an opportunity for something down the line, but right now… hopefully I get a fight date booked. I’m looking to compete a couple of times by the end of the year. I’d love… pic.twitter.com/INDB6uqM7x
While passion is the fuel to accomplish greatness, the kind of match-up Conor gets will also have a big impact on whether he can make a successful MMA return or not. As mentioned before, Chandler does have a lot of attributes that favor him. But, ruling out Conor just yet would be a big mistake. Dustin Poirier, who fought all the best fighters of his generation, added that McGregor was the hardest hitter he had ever fought.
As is evident by Chandler’s MMA career so far, he has always struggled against fighters who are quick, accurate, and hard-hitting strikers. Chandler has 4 KO losses in his career and they came against Charles Oliveira, Patricio Pitbull, Brent Primus, and Will Brooks.
And, in his bouts against Gaethje and Oliveira, he was knocked down thrice! Hence, there is a huge chance of McGregor securing a KO win if he can find Chandler’s chin. The former Bellator fighter has also suffered a lot of physical damage that definitely did not help his chin.
McGregor vs. Chandler is a very well-matched bout
Conor McGregor currently holds an MMA record of 22-6 and stands at 5’9″ with a southpaw style. He also has a reach of 74 inches. Michael Chandler (23-8), on the other hand, stands at 5’8″ with a 71″ reach and an orthodox style. Traditionally, southpaws have always had the advantage over orthodox fighters as they have a better chance of landing the counter punch. And, MMA fans don’t need to be reminded of Conor’s ability to land the killer blow.
As for Chandler, the in-cage activity will give him a big advantage over Conor, who may have ring rust. Other than that, the wrestling threat is also there with the former Bellator champ. Hence, there is no clear indication that either Conor or Chandler is walking out of the Octagon with a win at present. The bout will also take place at welterweight, which will also help Conor to have an easier weight cut.
Another major factor about it being at welterweight is the cardio. Neither fighter is especially known for their incredible gas tank. So the weight cut ahead of the bout could also be a big factor. The last time Conor fought at welterweight, he stopped Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone within 41 seconds. What will happen at UFC 303? Fans will find out on June 29.