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This weekend at UFC 274, Michael Chandler picked up one of the biggest wins of his career when he knocked out former interim lightweight champ Tony Ferguson. ‘Iron Mike’ then called out Irish superstar Conor McGregor for a fight.
Should Conor McGregor return to the UFC to take on Michael Chandler in a lightweight bout, or would this be a bad idea for him?
There are arguments either way for this one, but overall, it seems like a fight between Chandler and McGregor would make logical sense from all sides, including for ‘The Notorious’.
Here are five reasons why Conor McGregor’s return bout should be against Michael Chandler.
#5. Michael Chandler might actually be a beatable opponent for Conor McGregor
For Conor McGregor to remain relevant in the UFC going forward, despite his clear star status, there’s an argument that he needs to win his next bout. After all, ‘The Notorious’ made his name by defeating every man he faced – and now he hasn’t won a fight since January 2020.
In the eyes of many fans, McGregor’s two losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021 signaled one thing – that the Irishman is finished as a top-level fighter. Of course, ‘The Notorious’ would like nothing better than to prove those doubters wrong.
On the face of it, Michael Chandler would represent a hugely dangerous foe for McGregor. Not only does ‘Iron Mike’ possess a top-class wrestling game, he also hits like a mack truck, as Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson can attest to.
However, historically speaking, Chandler is the kind of opponent that McGregor once ate for breakfast. Standing at 5’8” and holding a 71” reach, ‘Iron Mike’ would be at a disadvantage against McGregor in terms of range. Therefore, if the Irishman could produce his best form, we could see a similar fight to his bouts with Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes.
Of course, for McGregor to produce that kind of showing, he’d have to get back to what brought him to the top of the table, a game based around movement and timing more than punching power. If he can do that, though, Chandler is a beatable opponent, making this potential bout well worth it.
#4. Lightweight is a better division than welterweight for Conor McGregor
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.
#3. A win over Michael Chandler would give Conor McGregor a path to the UFC lightweight title
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.
#2. Fans would rather see Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler than many other fights
One thing that has been notable about a possible fight between Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor since it was suggested at the weekend is the overall positive reaction from the fans.
Chandler’s callout of ‘The Notorious’ was always going to get a raucous reception from an Arizona crowd high on the brutal knockout that ‘Iron Mike’ had produced, but it seems like the enthusiasm hasn’t waned at all since.
On the other hand, McGregor’s suggestion that he could face Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title upon his return to action was largely met with a mix of derision and scorn. Any suggestion that he could face Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title – essentially jumping the queue – had a similar reaction.
The other mooted bouts for the Irishman, rematches with Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz, haven’t exactly been met with much fervour from the fans, particularly online, either.
Both McGregor and the UFC will obviously want to maximise the cash potential for his comeback fight. With that considered, they’ll want to put together a clash that the fans want to see. Right now, it feels like a fight with Chandler is the one the fans want the most.
#1. Michael Chandler is a hot commodity right now and could draw money against Conor McGregor
One thing that’s always been important in the world of the UFC is striking while the iron is hot. Sometimes the promotion has missed the boat on this. They probably should’ve given a number of fighters title shots after a big win rather than going with what they’d already planned. Other times, they’ve played their hand perfectly.
The rise of Conor McGregor is a prime example of a perfectly-played hand. ‘The Notorious’ arguably hadn’t earned a title shot when he was granted a crack at Jose Aldo in 2015, but he was clearly the hottest fighter in the division and his wins over Chad Mendes and Aldo turned him into the biggest star in the promotion’s history.
On the face of it, then, it might make sense for McGregor’s return fight to come against Nate Diaz. His first two meetings with the Californian drew huge buyrates on pay-per-view, and they clearly still have unfinished business.
However, Diaz hasn’t fought since 2021 and hasn’t actually won a bout since the summer of 2019. Essentially, he’s yesterday’s news and isn’t hot. Michael Chandler, on the other hand, is absolutely on fire right now.
The stock of ‘Iron Mike’ has never been higher following his front-kick knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. Despite his losses to Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira, he’s clearly hugely popular with the fans.
If the UFC wants to strike while the iron is hot, then, they’d look to book a fight between McGregor and Chandler. If McGregor has any wits about him he’d go for it, too. This clash could easily become the biggest fight in a long time, and even if the Irishman were to lose, he’d probably make a ton of money in the process.
