5 reasons why Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is a guaranteed slugfest

#4. Michael Chandler's striking has improved over time

The MMA world is no stranger to the striking prowess of Conor McGregor. However, Michael Chandler has proven why he wouldn't be an easy target.

Despite having fought just thrice in the UFC, Chandler has emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

In his debut fight against Dan Hooker at UFC 257, Michael Chandler knocked out 'The Hangman' to produce the 'Performance of the Night,' alongside the likes of Dustin Poirier, Makhmud Muradov, and Marina Rodriguez.

He came close to winning UFC gold in only the second fight of his UFC career, when he locked horns with Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 262.

He looked good in the first round and landed more strikes than Oliveira before getting knocked out by the Brazilian in the second.

Albeit in a losing cause, Michael Chandler produced arguably the best performance of his career recently at UFC 268 against Justin Gaethje.

He went the distance against 'The Highlight' to land 103 significant strikes on target while absorbing as many as 116 significant strikes from Gaethje. The barnburner was adjudged the 'Fight of the Night' and is also in contention for the 'Fight of the Year.'

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#3. Ring rust could have an impact on Conor McGregor's performance against Michael Chandler

Conor McGregor was one of the best fighters on the roster in his prime. He became the UFC featherweight and lightweight champion after beating the likes of Max Halloway, Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez.

But things have changed since he returned to the UFC in 2018 following a two-year hiatus. Due to long periods of inactivity between fights since his return, the Irishman has looked out of sorts in the octagon.

At UFC 257 earlier this year, for instance, McGregor didn't seem to have answers to Dustin Poirier's striking and was eventually knocked out in the second round.

Speaking in the post-fight octagon interview, Conor McGregor candidly touched upon his year-long layoff as the reason behind the loss to Dustin Poirier.

"You know, it's hard to overcome inactivity over long periods of time and that's just it."

Michael Chandler, on the other hand, has been quite active since signing up with the UFC. In the span of one year, he has fought Dan Hooker, Charles Oliviera and Justin Gaethje to produce commendable performances all three times.

Understandably, the American would like to better his last two outings by going hard at Conor McGregor.

That being said, the Irishman will be desperate to leave no stone unturned in getting back to winning ways when he returns to the octagon.

He has been actively updating fans on his recovery. As per some of the pictures, Conor McGregor looks in excellent shape and seems all set to take on other fighters in the near future.