Michael Chandler suggested this week that he is looking forward to moving up in weight for his upcoming UFC fight against Conor McGregor.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Chandler insisted that he has no issue fighting at 185 pounds if UFC decides to go that route:
"I'm cool with whatever weight. The way I see it, Conor and I are within a couple of pounds of each other. So it doesn't matter if we cut weight all the way down to 155, we fight at 170, or we fight at 185.
"We're the same size guys. I don't need to bulk up to 200-something [pounds] to get down to 185, it's just not how I would operate in this training camp. So I'm excited about it if it is 185."
A Chandler vs. McGregor fight has long been expected and anticipated since they served as the coaches for the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter last year.
McGregor has not fought since UFC 264 in July 2021 when he suffered a broken leg during a loss to Dustin Poirier. Fans have long awaited his return to the Octagon since then, and it was finally announced last week.
The Irishman said in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and Chandler would lock horns during International Fight Week on June 29 in Las Vegas and do it at 185 pounds:
Chandler responded with a tweet of his own in which he seemed to embrace the idea of fighting at a higher weight than usual:
When the 35-year-old McGregor and 37-year-old Chandler meet, it will be a battle between two highly successful fighters who have largely struggled in their most recent bouts.
While McGregor is 22-6 and has held both the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles, he has lost three of his past four fights.
Chandler, who is a former Bellator lightweight champion, has also dropped three of his past four bouts, including a submission loss to Poirier in his latest fight at UFC 281 in November 2022.
By the time McGregor and Chandler fight, both will have experienced long layoffs, and they should have ample time to get to whatever weight is agreed upon.
It will also be a significant fight for both combatants since the winner could potentially be in line for a title shot against middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
Read 12 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation