Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor isn’t taking Michael Chandler’s second-round finish prediction serious, according to a recent tweet from “Notorious.”
The two will go to battle this battle later this year. But first, McGregor and Chandler will coach their own teams on an upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which is set to begin filming in the coming weeks and will air on ESPN and ESPN+ from May 30 to August 15.
Chandler spoke with ESPN after UFC president Dana White announced the pairing. And he gave Brett Okamoto his “Mystic Mike” prediction — a moniker stemming from McGregor’s “Mystic Mac.”
“If he lands one on the button, it’s going to be a rough night for me. If I land one on the button, it’s going to be a rough night for him, but which one of us can do it?” Chandler said (h/t MMA Fighting).
“I’m going to get in his face, make him take a backwards step right away. He’s going to feel my presence from the very beginning of the fight and then from there wherever the fight takes us. If I want to pick him up and put him down, I can pick him up and put him down and put a beating on him and get a submission that way. I believe I finish Conor in the second round. That’s my ‘Mystic Mike’ take on this, later on this year whenever it is.”
MMA Fighting shared their article on Chandler’s comments via Twitter. McGregor took notice, and he only used one emoji to give a rebuttal: a laughing emoji. See the tweet below:
Chandler Plans to Tire McGregor Out By the Second Round & Then Land a Big Punch to Close the Show
Chandler has visualized how he wants to spoil the Irishman’s UFC return. And that’s with a power punch after putting Notorious through the wringer.
“I always visualize a big overhand right or a left hook,” Chandler said. “That’s the shot that I really want to land every single time, and that’s the shot I’ve seen put guys down so many times in my career, put guys down in training, put guys down a million times in my mind.
“I believe I wear him down a little bit and land a big shot in the second round and take him out.”
Dustin Poirier Reacted to ‘TUF’s McGregor vs. Chandler
Interestingly, both men haven’t competed since losing a fight to Dustin Poirier. Chandler and Poirier scrapped in November at UFC 281 and although “Iron” found success during the fight, Poirier ultimately got his hand raised via third-round rear-naked choke.
For McGregor, he hasn’t competed since dropping back-to-back bouts to “The Diamond.” They fought in January 2021 and Poirier defeated Notorious in the second round by TKO after battering the Irishman with calf kicks. As they were 1-1 against each other, The Diamond and McGregor rematched in July of that same year to settle the score.
Unfortunately for McGregor, he broke his leg during the first round and the contest was called off. He has yet to fight since then. Poirier reacted to the news of McGregor vs. Chandler, taking to Twitter and writing: “TUF all my children edition.”
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Conor McGregor Reacts to Michael Chandler’s Knockout Prediction