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Conor McGregor is scheduled to make his long-awaited return at a UFC event that remains undetermined. What has been determined, however, is the Irishman's opponent. The former two-division champion will face Michael Chandler in an explosive bout that many have been predicting for some time now.
Ever since 'Iron' made his UFC lightweight debut, he has been adamant about two things: becoming a champion and fighting Conor McGregor. While his title aspirations have since taken a left turn due to mixed success inside the octagon, a matchup with 'The Notorious' became a greater possibility.
The three-time Bellator lightweight champion has been hailed as arguably the most entertaining 155'er in the world. Fans and analysts alike expect fireworks the moment the two clash in the cage. This list expands on five possible ways that the fight can go.
#5. Conor McGregor wins via knockout
Michael Chandler is, in many ways, a lightweight version of Chad Mendes. The two are well-muscled, explosive wrestlers with a breadth of physical strength and powerful overhand-rights. Thus, 'Iron' does not embody a style of fighter that the Irishman has no experience against.
Additionally, the former Bellator champion has a habit of lunging forward as he takes extremely deep steps with every punch. While this renders his punches powerful, it also makes him exceedingly vulnerable to counterpunches since he keeps his chin untucked and leads with his face.
The amount of forward momentum he brings with every punch means one thing: he will run face-first into a straight left from Conor McGregor. The Irishman is well-versed at hopping out of range against shorter opponents, causing their looping punches to fall short before he bounces back in with a counter over the top.
'Iron' is tailor-made for Conor McGregor's counterpunching style. His hyper-aggressive style and tendency to run into things with his overexposed chin could cost him dearly against a precise and powerful counterpuncher like 'The Notorious'.
#4. Michael Chandler wins via knockout
Conor McGregor's time away from the octagon could cost him. Furthermore, the nature of his injury may very well have compromised his mobility. His footwork might not be as nimble as it used to be. Prior to his absence, the Irishman was known for a wide, bladed karate stance.
He bounced in and out of range on the balls of his feet. He bounced in to draw a punch from his opponent, then bounced out to make them miss, before bouncing back in again to land his straight left. Mobility and speed are important to this. Given his new heavily muscled physique, he might be significantly slower.
This might be especially true if the bout takes place at 170 lbs, as has been rumored. Due to being heavier than he's ever been, McGregor will likely suffer from a loss of speed and mobility. Furthermore, the nature of his injury could mean his movement will never be the same, regardless of his recovery.
If he can't get out of the way to land counterpunches like he used to, he'll be tagged with punches that he was once capable of avoiding. Michael Chandler hits so hard that the Irishman can't afford to take too many blows. If he has no reliable way of getting out of the way, 'Iron' might land the KO shot.
#3. Michael Chandler will outwrestle him
It's almost guaranteed that someone will get rocked during this bout. If it's Michael Chandler instead of Conor McGregor, a shift in 'Iron's' strategy is likely to take place. The three-time Bellator champion typically resorts to wrestling under specific conditions.
After being hurt, he tends to pursue takedowns to seek a moment during which he can recover. In his matchup against Dustin Poirier, 'Iron' doggedly pursued takedowns after being badly hurt in the first round. He had very little desire to continue striking in the second and third rounds.
A similar situation took place in his bout against Tony Ferguson. After 'El Cucuy' dropped him, he resorted to wrestling. If the Irishman manages to stun him, Chandler may very well resort to wrestling. This opens the door for him to outwrestle McGregor by securing takedowns and controlling him on the mat.
#2. Either Conor McGregor or Michael Chandler will gas out
Neither Conor McGregor nor Michael Chandler are known for having deep gas tanks. Instead, the two men are best known for their abundance of fast-twitch muscle fibers. This is what renders them explosive and powerful. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of cardio.
They both have a tendency to tire at the midway point of the second round. By the third round, they're often exhausted. Michael Chandler gasses out due to his habit of committing all of his weight into every punch he throws. He swings wildly and steps in deep. Even his wrestling consists mainly of power-based takedowns.
Similarly, Conor McGregor also relies on an energy-consuming fighting style. He's always in his opponent's face, applying constant pressure while on a hair-trigger so he can slip shots and land counters.
This is a very energy-consuming style of engagement. His exhaustion might be even more pronounced now due to his recent muscle gain. Muscles require oxygen to function optimally. The more muscle a fighter has, the more oxygen their overall performance needs. Thus, he might tire even quicker than before.
One of them will gas out, or both of them might, leading to a sloppier affair than most expect.
#1. Their matchup will end up being a five-round war
Once Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler lock horns inside the octagon, both men will exhaust every resource to try and knock each other out. But there are other factors to consider. The two lightweight stars have a history of cheating once fights are no longer going their way.
'Iron' used fish-hooks against Dustin Poirier and hit him in the back of the head. He also resorted to dirty tactics like blowing out his bloody nose into 'The Diamond's' mouth, which some believe caused the latter's staph infection. Meanwhile, McGregor has used cage-grabs, illegal knees and glove-grabbing several times.
He did so against 'The Diamond' and Khabib Nurmagomedov, the latter of whom he struck with an illegal knee. It's possible that once either 'The Notorious' or 'Iron' are hurt in their bout, they'll use any method to survive while their foe gasses out trying to finish them.
This could lead to a back-and-forth affair with several momentum shifts and no clear finish en route to a five-round war.
