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Michael Chandler is certainly not overlooking his next opponent, Dan Hooker. However, in a recent interview, Chandler has revealed that he wishes to compete for the title or fight Conor McGregor after he beats 'The Hangman' at UFC 257.
During the UFC 257 Q&A, Michael Chandler said fighting against Khabib Nurmagomedov is the only way he can prove that he is the best lightweight in the world. Competition is what the former Bellator lightweight champion seeks in the UFC and he seems exhilarated to be a part of a dynamic weight division.
"As mixed martial artists, we have to brace uncertainty all the time. That is one of the great things about the UFC lightweight division right now. It's the most energized, most electrifying, and the most hyped-up division in the UFC right now." Said Chandler.
Why is fighting at UFC 257 more important than it seems for Michael Chandler?
Talking about the opponents that he was offered to make his debut in the UFC, Michael Chandler stated that Dan Hooker was the only opponent to accept a fight against him. Come January 23rd, Chandler seeks to beat Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257. According to Chandler, a win over Hooker will tie him up with the winner of Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 2.
"Honestly, I would always say whoever the No. 1 guy is. Anything other than that is just a stepping stone to get there. Coming to the UFC, I had to show that I possess the skills necessary to become UFC lightweight champion."
Citing the financial incentive that a fight against Conor McGregor brings, Chandler picked the Irishman as his second choice of opponent if he is able to secure a victory against Dan Hooker. 'The Notorious One' brings the most eyeballs of all the UFC fighters, and the payday to face him would definitely be huge.
"If none of us are 'spectacular' enough like Khabib (Nurmagomedov) said, in order to entice him to come out of retirement, there is going to be a strong case to be made that the (winners of) two fights on this card could end up fighting each other for that UFC title... So, Khabib would be my No.1 choice and No. 2 would be Conor McGregor because that's the biggest platform", said Michael Chandler.
With the addition of Michael Chandler, a lot of possible interesting matchups in the lightweight roster can be made in the upcoming months. It will be interesting to see how the former Bellator lightweight world champion fits in with the best 155 pound fighters in the UFC.
