Islam Makhachev says he won't be surprised if Conor McGregor retires after Michael Chandler fight

Conor McGregor is set to make his highly anticipated return as he will face Michael Chandler following the two sides coaching opposing teams on The Ultimate Fighter. Islam Makhachev believes that the former double champ could retire with a loss to the No.5-ranked lightweight.

Speaking at the media day for UFC 284, the lightweight champion stated:

"It's a good fight for the MMA fans, but if Chandler wins, [McGregor] is going to retire for sure. Make some good money and that's it, but Chandler so smart guy because I saw his last couple fights. He fights like crazy."

Islam Makhachev continued:

"Last four fights, they have the same streak. They lose three times. That's why this fight is happening. For Conor, he chose a good way too. He chose a small guy at 170. Finally, someone is going to win... Conor everyday retires and everyday comes back to the Twitter."

McGregor has won just one fight since 2016 and has not entered the octagon since breaking his leg at UFC 264 over 18 months ago. While it is unclear if he will walk away from the sport with a loss to Michael Chandler, the former double champ will likely re-enter the title picture with a victory.

Watch Islam Makhachev's comments on Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler below (starting at the 25:20 mark):

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Alexander Volkanovski believes Conor McGregor will get a title shot with victory over Michael Chandler

Conor McGregor is currently unranked and has not won a fight since 2016. Despite this, Alexander Volkanovski believes the former double champ will receive a lightweight title shot if he is able to defeat Michael Chandler later this year. Speaking at the media day ahead of UFC 284, the featherweight champion stated:

"It’s always good to have Conor coming back to the sport... It’s a winnable fight because they’re just going to go for it so it’s going to be entertaining, but that just puts Conor right back in the conversation for the belt. For people to say he wouldn’t deserve it and there’s no way they're going to do that, you’re pretty crazy, right? It’s Conor McGregor."

While many may feel that McGregor is undeserving of a title opportunity, his massive stardom provides him with opportunities that other fighters may not have. The former double champ is seemingly always one tough win away from a title opportunity due to the amount of revenue that he generates for the promotion.

Watch Alexander Volkanovski's comments on Conor McGregor below (starting at the 4:38 mark):