Morning Report: Michael Chandler believes Conor McGregor 'trying to wait me out' to get 'easier fight'
27/12/2023 14:00
The MMA world is still waiting on the return of both Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor.
The Ultimate Fighter 31 (TUF) already feels like a lifetime ago despite happening earlier this year. That's just the effect that the coaches not fighting each other will have on a season. Well, along with the long-running series being somewhat of a rinse-and-repeat model of middling prospects or veterans at this point, of course.
In the end, McGregor and Chandler broke even with winners as Team McGregor's Brad Katona won the bantamweight bracket while Team Chandler's Kurt Holobaugh got the job done at lightweight in August. Since then, the hold-up for the coach's collision has been on McGregor's side thanks to his exclusion from the USADA testing pool. With the partnership between USADA and the UFC officially ending next Monday, there will be nothing to stop McGregor from booking the Chandler fight as soon as possible. However, "Iron" believes the whole process has been a part of the plan for "The Notorious."
"I think right now he's trying to wait me out," Chandler said on Steve-O's Wild Ride! "I mean, because if you were him, would you want to wait as long as possible for the guy like me, who's a real fighter, who wants to be in there, who wants to compete so that I say, 'Screw it, I'm gonna go fight someone else' and then he can go fight an easier fight: Nate Diaz."
Ideally, McGregor would have undergone six months of USADA testing to become eligible to compete again as late as the start of TUF 31 in May. Instead, his delay has also kept Chandler sidelined with a third-round rear-naked choke loss to Dustin Poirier in November 2022 as his last fight. As for the mentioned Diaz, the veteran is still enjoying his free agency after departing the UFC in late 2022 for a boxing match against Jake Paul this past summer. Paul defeated Diaz via unanimous decision.
McGregor, 35, coincidentally had his last two fights against Poirier, who defeated him on both occasions via TKO. The latter of which just so happened to lead to the nasty leg break that has kept McGregor on the mend since that night of UFC 264 in July 2021. The Irishman is 1-3 in his last four bouts and hasn't won since his 40-second welterweight TKO of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in January 2020.
"It looks really bad on everyone's part if Conor comes back and doesn't fight me," Chandler said. "Conor can try to come back and act like he runs the show and say, 'I want to fight this guy, I want to fight that guy,' which if I was in his position, if I was his manager, I would be trying to do the same thing because fighting me is not the smartest fight."
TOP STORIES
Awards.MMA Fighting's 2023 Fighter of the Year: Sean Strickland
Redemption. MMA Fighting's 2023 Knockout of the Year: Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira
Denied.Cody Garbrandt not interested in Dominick Cruz rematch: 'It's so hard to top that performance'
Assessment.Aljamain Sterling disappointed by Sean O'MalleyPPV sales: 'These are the numbers that this guy was trying to say he's this big PPV star?'
Holidays. 'The Bully who stole gold': MMA community celebrates Christmas and the holidays
Upset. Conor McGregor erupts over UFC inactivity: 'My patience is wearing thin'
Ending. Korean Zombie on decision to retire from MMA: 'I felt that I don't have that chin anymore'
Storytime. Willy Wonka (and Conor McGregor and Dana White and Jon Jones, and a few others) and the Chocolate Factory
Partnerships. RIZIN's Nobuyuki Sakakibara discusses future of co-promotions after Bellator sale to PFL, doesn't see ONE as threat in Japan
Bored.Alan Jouban laments Islam Makhachev, Leon Edwards calling for champ vs. champ fights: 'I wish that talk would go away'
Aftermath. Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson thinks he may have injured foot in UFC 296 loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov
VIDEO STEW
UFC 297 Trailer.
Top UFC Finishes of 2023.
2023 UFC Honors KO Nominees.
UFC's 2023 Year In Review - Part 1.
Bisping's Greatest Year.
Weidman: The Return.
RIZIN Confessions 139.
Top 10 PFL KOs of 2023.
From the Archives.
Invicta's Best KOs.
Champ Camp Finale.
MORNING MUSIC
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Nice.
Lovely flying knee from Feng Tianhao against Ryuichi Miki at WLF today. This guy has won 13 straight pic.twitter.com/PUceE2VAeF
— Chris Presnell (@mmaecosystem) December 22, 2023
No time for love!
Fight Time ! #ONEFridayFights46pic.twitter.com/zb6zy9TZKj
— Ethan ️ (@xToueki) December 22, 2023
Oh.
Licking my lips after watching this fight ️ @RiyadhSeason#BattleOfTheBaddest
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) December 23, 2023
Lost a touch there, mate.
@TheNotoriousMMA
— Out of Context Human Race (@NoContextHumans) December 23, 2023
pic.twitter.com/OQBJuqOXYy
One final fight week.
#RIZIN45
— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 24, 2023
BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE MATCH @jarchmma@kai_1031_
Continue the New Year's Tradition with #RIZIN45 on @FiteTV
https://t.co/2JKhqMm5VQpic.twitter.com/YPBensblnF
Spammed it.
Thananchai with the quadruple uppercut. #RWSpic.twitter.com/GD6mXiFYhO
— Beyond Kickboxing (@Beyond_Kick) December 23, 2023
Desperation activated.
Hold tight. I'd love to crack your jaw. Things are still unclear with that former fighter who is masquerading as a real fighter . https://t.co/MFSHlrFXIm
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) December 24, 2023
Einstein.
Damnnnnnn. Albert Tumenov caps off a spectacular performance with a vicious KO over Ustarmagomed Gadzhidaudov in the dying seconds of the fight. And once again ACA Welterweight champ. Wow #ACA168pic.twitter.com/oNWPGlmBem
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) December 24, 2023
Rivalry continued.
None…..thread over
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) December 26, 2023
Now somebody do Russians
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) December 26, 2023
Merry Christmas bitch
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) December 26, 2023
Always playing jiu-jitsu.
Christmas in a grappling household pic.twitter.com/lchPDu4oap
— BJJotter (@JiujitsuOtter) December 25, 2023
Solid view.
Merry Christmas everyone! pic.twitter.com/BKspIvapOv
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) December 25, 2023
Double dog?
pink head
— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) December 25, 2023
To do this you need to dare to fight with me. https://t.co/5by6MYRYdL
Into the shop.
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) December 26, 2023
This time next year pic.twitter.com/Qn0n9vVklK
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) December 26, 2023
Family.
@TeamKhabibpic.twitter.com/cztOkjMi7Q
— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) December 26, 2023
A kick-off.
Waiting on the call. Ready when you are @ufc@danawhite Let's see who can kick the others head off first @MAKHACHEVMMA Do Bronx had his shot and didn't show up for the rematch. It is what it is. https://t.co/Wg83vtmLHm
— Justin Gaethje (@Justin_Gaethje) December 26, 2023
A Stamp Christmas.
Champ.
Selfie time.
Clouds over the beach.
Brothers.
Work.
We back to work @Justin_Gaethjepic.twitter.com/wn1XrRg3wp
— Archie Kwame Colgan (@king_colgan) December 26, 2023
Let's talk 10-7s.
That was the first fight I ever watched scored with a 10-7. At the time I never truly believed I would see a 10-7 because I always felt that the referee would stop the fight before it got to the judges hands for a score. Once again I was wrong. 5 knockdowns in 1 round plus total… https://t.co/hLcdkZWgmu
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) December 26, 2023
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Joshua Van (9-1) vs. Felipe Bunes (13-6);UFC Vegas 84, Jan. 13
AJ Dobson (7-2) vs. Tresean Gore (4-2);UFC 298, Feb. 17
Yazmin Jauregui (10-1) vs. Sam Hughes (8-5); UFC Mexico, Feb. 24
Jesús Santos Aguilar (9-2) vs. Mateus Mendonca (10-2); UFC Mexico, Feb. 24
Stephanie Luciano (5-1-1) vs. Shauna Bannon (5-1); UFC Vegas 88, March 23
Andre Petroski (10-2) vs. Jacob Malkoun (7-3);UFC Atlantic City, March 30
FINAL THOUGHTS
Hope everyone had a great and happy holiday season. Now we head towards the New Year celebrations. Share your plans and goals for 2024 in the comments below!
POLL POSITION
Last Week's Results:
Friday: 61% of 413 total votes answered "Yes" when asked, "Will Belal Muhammad get the next UFC welterweight title shot?"
Thursday: 57% of 437 total votes answered "Yes" when asked, "Will Tony Ferguson ever fight in the UFC again?"
Wednesday: 30% of 714 total votes answered "Shavkat Rakhmonov" when asked, "Who should be next for Colby Covington?"
Tuesday: 57% of 675 total votes answered "About the same" when asked, "Are you more or less hyped for Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis after this past weekend?"
Monday: 43% of 453 total votes answered "Neither" when asked, "Who came out better after this past weekend?"
Today's exit poll:
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