UFC star Michael Chandler might be losing hope in a Conor McGregor showdown, but potentially not in the Octagon.
Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor were supposed to square off after they filmed The Ultimate Fighter 31. But after their UFC 303 booking fell apart just weeks before the event last June, McGregor’s fighting return timeline remains foggy, especially after he recently announced he’s running for president in Ireland.
Chandler, who will face fellow UFC fan favorite Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 next month, remains in pursuit of McGregor despite almost four full years since the former champion’s last fight. Since McGregor’s most recent UFC fight at UFC 264, McGregor has become part-owner of Bare Knuckle FC and was recently in talks to box Logan Paul before negotiations fell apart.
Despite McGregor’s ventures outside of the Octagon, Chandler isn’t giving up hope of fighting McGregor down the line.
Michael Chandler presents an interesting solution to booking Conor McGregor fight
During a recent interview with Covers.com, Chandler was asked about potentially facing McGregor in bare-knuckle boxing.
“That would be the only fight I took,” Chandler said of facing McGregor in BKFC.
“If the UFC was on board with it, the UFC gave us both permission, we both went and did it… Yeah, I would do it.” (h/t MMA Knockout)
But Chandler must overcome a big hurdle at home to secure the McGregor fight in another discipline.
“My wife said you can’t fight in bare knuckle, but I am a fan of it,” Chandler continued. “I watch it. I bought a couple of the pay-per-views. I was gonna go sit ringside at the show in Florida before the Conor fight got canceled. So I’m a fan of the brand, but definitely not gonna fight in it.”
Chandler is already set to likely miss the birth of his daughter as he prepares to face Pimblett at UFC 314. But Chandler would be a great fit for bare-knuckle boxing when he eventually decides to hang up the MMA gloves.
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UFC executives back Conor McGregor’s presidential run that impacts return chances
UFC executive Dave Shaw endorsed McGregor’s presidential run during the UFC London post-fight press conference. UFC commentator Joe Rogan acknowledged that McGregor’s next combat sports appearance taking place in BKFC isn’t off the table after recent developments.
UFC CEO Dana White’s most recent McGregor update pointed to a potential return to the cage by year’s end, but that’s likely to be scratched after McGregor’s political announcement.
As for Chandler, he’s looking to get back in the win column after a loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in November. He’s lost four of his last five fights overall but remains a top pay-per-view name for the UFC brass.
McGregor vs. Chandler remains on the shelf after years of back-and-forth fight talks. But if McGregor doesn’t return to the UFC Octagon and walks away from MMA, a potential clash with Chandler remains a possibility in a different forum.