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Even while competing in a different promotion, Michael Chandler always had an interest in a clash with Conor McGregor.
In 2020, Chandler's Bellator contract was a hot topic of discussion as there was speculation on whether he would leave the promotion and make the move to the UFC. During his post-fight press conference after his knockout win over Benson Henderson at Bellator 243, 'Iron' gave his thoughts on a hypothetical fight with McGregor:
"It would be similiar to shades of Diaz 1. Wear him down, hit him with hard shots. Hard, hard shots, take every single one of his shots. He's got that sneaky and strong and thick and hard left-hand that he throws and it's straight. You avoid that, wear him down a little bit, make him see Jesus, just put him out." [0:47 - 1:05]
Although 'Iron' was confident that he would get his hand raised in a decisive fashion, he complimented 'The Notorious' for his confidence. He mentioned that if everybody believed in themselves more, then the world would be a different place:
"I've always loved what he has done with the sport. I've never once hated on him. In the very beginning, I did say that he is not as good as he thinks he is but he's better than what we think he is, and he continued to prove that... If all of us had a little more self-belief like Conor McGregor, life would be a little bit different." [0:18 - 0:39]
Shortly after Bellator 243, Chandler signed with the UFC and quickly became one of the most exciting fighters in the stacked lightweight division. He has now earned himself the most lucrative fight of his career against McGregor.
Check out the full video:
Michael Chandler intends to have a competitive mindset on The Ultimate Fighter
Michael Chandler not only wants to defeat Conor McGregor in the octagon, but he also wants to outcoach him in season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter.
While speaking with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion discussed coaching opposite McGregor and mentioned that he intends to maintain a competitive mindset on the show:
"I think you're going to see some vintage Conor cause ultimately, we're here to create intrigue about this fight as well and we get the opportunity to do it on the biggest stage that you could actually ask for in mixed martial arts." [20:11 - 20:27]
Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter premieres on May 31, with 'Iron' and 'The Notorious' set to fight following the season finale later this year.
