Michael Chandler says that a showdown with Conor McGregor remains a distinct possibility.
The two rival coaches on the 31st season of the UFC’s long-running reality series ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ were due to clash at UFC 303 in June of last year before a foot injury forced McGregor’s removal from the bout. Chandler would instead fight Charles Oliveira some months later in a bout in which he lost via unanimous decision, following that up with a third-round TKO loss against Paddy Pimblett in his most recent bout this past April.
But in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Chandler said that his rivalry with McGregor may still get the payoff he says it deserves amid speculation that the two might fight in the rumoured card to take place at the White House next June.
“I think we’re closer now than we ever have been,” Chandler said. “I’ve always said if you’re a betting man, don’t put money on him necessarily coming back but now this changes things a lot.”
McGregor has previously stated his desire to compete on the White House card, which will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.
“In my heart of hearts, I think I’m fighting Conor McGregor at the White House and that sure does make a ton of sense for a multitude of reasons,” Chandler added.
“First and foremost, I want the White House. deally, if it becomes Conor, that would be awesome. We have some unfinished business. I’ve got respect for him, he’s got respect for me, but we do have [some] unfinished business. He has expressed interest. When he put out that meme of me and him, I guess could call it a meme, it was A.I., it was me and him. He’s called me out on Twitter and said we have unfinished business and we do.
“We have unfinished business. We would be the only fighters not to fight after The Ultimate Fighter, who were in the same weight class. Conor and I, it makes sense.”
Chandler added that a showdown with a fighter of McGregor’s history and calibre is exactly where he wants to be at this stage of his career.
“I’ve said a version of this a thousand times about us fighters in general: When you get in this sport you want the biggest fights, the brightest lights, the most amount of money, the most eyeballs you possibly can. Conor has been no exception to that. Conor has done that his entire career. All of the pay-per-view records and the biggest spectacles you could possibly be on.
“That’s exactly what Conor McGregor’s brand is and that’s exactly what myself and every single fighter wants. When this White House fight card got announced, obviously Conor tweeted about it or threw something out there about it. It seemed a little bit of smoke and mirrors, a little bit of blunder here and there, but ultimately if there ever was a card that Conor McGregor comes back for, it makes a lot of sense it would be this one.”
