Getty Conor McGregor
Several fighters would love to be Conor McGregor’s comeback opponent, however Michael Chandler thinks he’s potentially the UFC’s first choice.
Chandler made the comments during a recent episode of the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast.
“Iron” is coming off a massive victory at UFC 274 earlier this month. He knocked out former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson with a devastating head kick, and after the bout, he challenged McGregor to fight him at 170 pounds.
“I’ve got one dude on my mind,” Chandler erupted during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “Conor McGregor! You’ve got to come back and fight somebody. I am the most entertaining lightweight on the planet. But I want to up the stakes, Conor. I want you at your biggest. I want you at your baddest and I want you at your best. You and me at 170!”
Chandler called out McGregor after his KO win 🗣 #UFC274
Chandler’s electric callout captured McGregor’s attention and “Notorious” took to Twitter shortly after to share his interest in fighting the American.
“I’d have a nice knock off this guy, no doubt about it,” McGregor wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “A firework spectacle. I like the 170 shout also. Tipped him over. I’m definitely game to fight this guy at some stage in my career. I see it happening after tonight. Congrats on a solid win Michael and another barnstormer.”
Chandler Sees Himself as the Possible Frontrunner to Fight Notorious
It’s unclear when McGregor will actually make his return to the Octagon. He suffered a broken leg last July at UFC 264, and he’s been recovering ever since. But when the Irishman decides to sign a fight contract, Iron thinks there’s a good chance his name will be on the papers as well.
“I feel like I’m the frontrunner right now, I could be the frontrunner. I’m exciting, I got the hype, I got the people behind me, I got the knockouts, I got the hilbilly fights with Gaethje, I got the callout,” Chandler said on the podcast via BJPenn.com.
“People can see me on the mic and they know there’s going to be some verbal jiu-jitsu going on there on the microphones, me and him going back at it, respectively, of course, on my side at least… I think I’m on the cusp of being the guy who’s in the conversation with Conor and very few people get in the conversation with Conor. There you have to take it a little more seriously or put a little bit more weight in that. I still think I beat Conor, I’m fighting next for the title anyway. Nothing is guaranteed, this sport moves quickly. Who knows.”
Chandler Is Willing to ‘Go Into Enemy Territory’ to Fight Notorious
If the promotion wants McGregor’s comeback fight to be in Ireland, then Chandler is game. Specifically, Iron is fired up at the chance of competing against Notorious at Croke Park, a stadium in Dublin.
“I think it’s called Croke Park or something, there is a big stadium out there, that they have talked about doing, Croke Park or something like that,” Chandler said. “That would be awesome too, I would love to go into enemy territory.”