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Conor McGregor will make his long-awaited return to the UFC octagon at a later point this year. While there's no news on the exact pay-per-view (PPV) event that will host his return, nor is there any talk regarding his re-entry to the USADA testing pool, the Irishman's opponent has, at least, been revealed.
'The Notorious' will square off against three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler. Ever since signing with the UFC, 'Iron' has carved a niche for himself as one of the most entertaining 155'ers in the world. He is powerful and explosive and fights to entertain the masses, even to his own detriment.
While 'Iron' certainly has the skill-set to pose some issues for Conor McGregor, there is a high probability that the Irishman will win their scheduled bout. This list explores several reasons why the former two-division champion will likely spark his foe come fight night.
#5. Conor McGregor's knockout power
Conor McGregor has built his career off of his devastating punching power. Brazilian MMA legend José Aldo lasted no longer than 13 seconds against the Irishman's vaunted straight left. Eddie Alvarez was crushed after surviving three knockdowns.
Even Dustin Poirier, who secured two wins over 'The Notorious', described him as the hardest-hitter he's ever faced. This is significant given 'The Diamond's' own bouts against the likes of Justin Gaethje. Conor McGregor hits hard, and even Nate Diaz couldn't stand against him without suffering knockdowns of his own.
Given the Irishman's breadth of punching power, he has the most natural tool at his disposal to finish Michael Chandler inside two rounds. This is especially true considering what the following entry touches on.
#4. Michael Chandler's chin is questionable
No one can ever question whether Michael Chandler is tough. The former Bellator champion has engaged in numerous wars throughout his career and frequently wills himself through the worst of his opponent's blows before he reaches his limit. Unfortunately, 'Iron's' chin is known for failing to match his spirit.
Conor McGregor is an exceptionally accurate puncher. Furthermore, the Irishman is aggressive but calculated in his pursuit of his opponent's chin. If his opponent's chin is anything less than exceptional, they run an increasing risk of being flatlined at some point during their bout with him.
While not every opponent is as tough as Nate Diaz, having a reputation for being hurt in most of his recent fights will do Michael Chandler no favors against the Irishman. Punching power and a questionable chin can only result in one outcome: a knockout.
#3. Michael Chandler has poor fight IQ
Arman Tsarukyan recently challenged Michael Chandler to a fight. The Georgia-born fighter took aim at 'Iron's' fight IQ by describing it as the lowest in the division. While Tsarukyan used some trash-talk in the hope of coaxing Chandler into a matchup, his words have an element of truth.
The 36-year-old does have an extremely reckless fighting style. First, he ignores his wrestling skill set until he's hurt by an opponent during a kickboxing exchange. After being rocked or dropped, he desperately pursues takedowns to avoid a knockout blow. He rarely uses his wrestling to dictate his bouts.
Additionally, he hardly uses level changes to create openings for his punches or vice versa. Given his wrestling background, it should come naturally to him. He also steps in deep with every punch, leading with his face and exposing his chin. He further exposes his chin by swinging wildly as he charges forward.
This tires him out by the end of the first round. Not only does he consistently put himself at risk of being knocked out, but he also doesn't use his strongest skill set and he empties his gas tank in the first round.
#2. Conor McGregor's takedown defense is underrated
If Michael Chandler shocks the world by implementing a wrestling-heavy game plan, fans shouldn't be shocked if 'The Notorious' proves difficult to take down. Conor McGregor's anti-wrestling is surprisingly good, especially when taking into account his past performances against wrestlers.
Chad Mendes learned how difficult it was to secure blast double-leg takedowns against him. Even Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of the greatest MMA wrestlers in recent memory, needed chain wrestling to outwrestle the Irishman. During their bout, 'The Notorious' defended the Russian's opening takedown.
The undefeated Dagestani phenom dove for a low single-leg takedown. In response, McGregor slid his hips back and hooked an arm over Nurmagomedov's neck before dropping his upper-body weight on top of it. He correctly defended the Russian's initial takedown.
Furthermore, he managed to hook his arm over Nurmagomedov's back to control the Russian's upper body. This forced 'The Eagle' to try turning in at an angle to finish the takedown. But Conor McGregor was able to defend the first chained takedown by pushing off of his rear leg.
Michael Chandler, however, is not a chain wrestler. Instead, he is the kind who secures blast double-leg takedowns and explosive suplexes that tire him.
#1. Conor McGregor's striking style matches up well with Michael Chandler's
Conor McGregor is the new breed of a counterpuncher. The counter-strikers from yesteryear are Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, both of whom used feints and distance to draw their opponents into counters. The Irishman's case is different. Instead of relying on feints, he uses pressure.
Once the round starts, 'The Notorious' sprints across the cage and gets in his foe's face. He stands at a precise distance away from his opponents. It leaves enough space for him to simply bounce away to make his opponent's punches fall just an inch short, but it also keeps him close enough to bounce back in with a counter.
He typically convinces his opponents to lunge into his punches by crowding their space and throwing non-committal strikes designed to frustrate them into lashing out. Furthermore, he disguises his foot placement so his opponents rarely know how far or close he is.
He throws a punch that purposely falls short of landing, convincing his foes that he's out of range and they're safe. He then flicks another punch at his foe's face to blind them. As he does so, he shuffles his feet closer, closing the distance without his opponent's awareness.
He also leans his upper-body forward to add an extra inch of reach to his punches. Thus, he catches opponents when they least expect him to. This does not bode well for Michael Chandler due to his habit of recklessly lunging forward face-first with looping punches.
