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If Michael Chandler has his way, he will not only defeat Conor McGregor once the Irishman finally steps back inside the octagon, but retire him as well. The three-time Bellator lightweight champion said as much on X, where he replied to a tweet about McGregor's recent thoughts on retirement.
The Irishman had taken part in an interview, wherein he spoke out against any calls for his retirement. He declared his intention to keep fighting until he dies. This drew Chandler's attention, who replied with an ominous warning consisting of a headstone emoji and a promise to deliver McGregor into retirement.
"I got you fam... [insert headstone emoji] - 93 days left...."
The chance to fight McGregor is one that Chandler has been desperate for some time now. Their bout was initially announced back in February 2023. Unfortunately, McGregor's issues with USADA appeared to delay his return, as the Irishman was allegedly using banned substances for therapeutic purposes.
He had previously snapped his shin in his last UFC fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, so many alleged that the Irishman was using steroids to accelerate his recovery from injury. These rumors were only strengthened when the former UFC double champion experienced a significant and sudden increase in muscle mass.
Following USADA's split from the UFC, and McGregor's subsequent downsize in his musculature, the bout seemed on course for UFC 300. But to Chandler's dismay, something else was afoot, and he was again forced to wait on the sidelines for McGregor's return, with no news regarding the reason for the delay.
According to UFC CEO Dana White, the delay on the Irishman's return was due only to his acting commitments on 'Road House.'
Michael Chandler turned down a fight with Arman Tsarukyan in favor of waiting for Conor McGregor
While waiting for Conor McGregor's return, Michael Chandler drew some criticism from the MMA world, with some of his contemporaries branding him delusional for believing that the Irishman would ever fight again.
This was echoed by Arman Tsarukyan, who insulted 'Iron's' fight IQ and challenged him to a fight.
Chandler, however, turned down the challenge in dismissive fashion, once again asserting his goal of fighting McGregor and even claiming to have never actually watched Tsarukyan fight, despite the fact that both men compete at lightweight.
