5 reasons why Conor McGregor should face Michael Chandler in his return fight

#4. Lightweight is a better division than welterweight for Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor's body may be better suited to 155lbs than 170lbs

While he’s been on the shelf since suffering a serious leg injury in his loss to Dustin Poirier last summer, Conor McGregor has not been quiet about his desire to make a successful comeback to the UFC. Most notably, he’s suggested that his comeback may come at welterweight.

However, would this actually be a smart idea? Sure, ‘The Notorious’ has had some success in the octagon as a welterweight, defeating Nate Diaz in 2016 and Donald Cerrone in 2020. However, both of those fighters had also fought at lightweight on plenty of occasions and certainly wouldn’t be considered monstrous 170lbers like Kamaru Usman or Colby Covington.

The truth is that despite all the muscle he’s packed on recently, McGregor is much more suited to fighting at 155 pounds, where he’d hold a height and reach advantage over most of his prospective foes, including Michael Chandler.

With that in mind, ‘The Notorious’ would be smarter to accept this fight and secure his future in the lightweight division. Heading up to welterweight would simply be too risky for him. Chandler would be a dangerous opponent, but at the end of the day, he’s no Kamaru Usman.

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#3. A win over Michael Chandler would give Conor McGregor a path to the UFC lightweight title

A win over Michael Chandler would push Conor McGregor directly towards a title shot

While the idea of Conor McGregor claiming gold in the octagon once again seems like a pipe dream after his two losses to Dustin Poirier, ‘The Notorious’ has never shied away from stating that winning the UFC lightweight title he never actually lost in a fight remains his goal.

However, despite the wishes of Charles Oliveira, who is still the champion in the eyes of most fans despite being stripped of the title last weekend, it seems unlikely that McGregor will be granted an instant title shot upon his return.

‘The Notorious’ has not won a fight at lightweight since his victory over Eddie Alvarez in 2016. So, if he wants to claim a shot at the gold, he’ll need to pick up a big win as soon as possible. That’s why a fight with Michael Chandler makes so much sense.

Right now, ‘Iron Mike’ is ranked at No.5 in the division. Given that he’s coming off a win over Tony Ferguson, it’s arguable that he’s closer to a shot at the title than both Poirier and Justin Gaethje, who have both lost to Charles Oliveira recently.

That means that a win over him would propel McGregor right into the title picture, if not directly into a title shot. After all, he’d have beaten the highest-ranked fighter coming off a win in the division right now.

While Chandler might prove to be a difficult opponent for ‘The Notorious’, then, he’d also be an excellent stepping stone if McGregor could win.