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

Michael Chandler has garnered a lot of attention since the barnburner against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268. While he may have lost the fight, Chandler won the respect of the fans through his gladiatorial performance.

Not only did he endure a heavy pounding from Justin Gaethje, but he also managed to keep 'The Highlight' on his toes throughout with his efficient counter punching right until the final bell.

As congratulations started pouring in from all corners, the former Bellator champion took to Twitter to challenge former UFC champ-champ Conor McGregor to a fight.

'The Notorious,' who has been out of action since his leg injury at UFC 264, responded to the call out and agreed to fight Chandler "at some stage for sure."

Given Conor McGregor's reputation over the years, it's imperative that his opponent be a tough nut to crack. Judging by his recent performances, Michael Chandler could be the perfect matchup for the Irishman on the latter's return to the octagon.

To that end, here are five reasons why the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight is a guaranteed slugfest.

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#5. Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are both hungry for a win

Conor McGregor created history in 2015-16 by knocking out Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez in less than a year's time to become the UFC's first champ-champ.

The Irishman was in the form of his life when he left the UFC for a professional boxing match against Floyd Mayweather.

He eventually returned to the octagon in 2018 but hasn't had much success since then.

Barring his victory over Donald Cerrone, Conor McGregor has had a hard time in the octagon – losing twice to Dustin Poirier and once to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Michael Chandler, too, stands in a similar position to McGregor. Since signing up with the UFC in 2020, 'Iron' has fought thrice and his last two fights have been losses. His solitary win came against Dan Hooker at UFC 257, which was his first appearance in the promotion.

Given the string of losses in their careers, both fighters will be looking to get back to winning ways.

For Michael Chandler, who is currently ranked fifth in the lightweight division, a win would keep him in contention for another title shot in the future.

Conor McGregor, on the other hand, is desperate for a win to resurrect his career. Currently ranked ninth in the lightweight division, McGregor needs to go hard at Chandler to better his chances of entering the top-five of the division.

#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.

#2. Michael Chandler's resilience

A Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight is a guaranteed slugfest for what it promises – McGregor's explosiveness against Chandler's resilience.

Conor McGregor is one of the most well-rounded strikers in the UFC, thanks to his explosiveness and agility. Eight of his 10 wins in the UFC have come via KO/TKO.

Michael Chandler, however, is a tough nut to crack, and his recent performance against Justin Gaethje is testimony to that.

Despite getting knocked down and badly cut, Chandler showed remarkable resilience to fight until the final bell. Although he lost in the end, he became the first fighter in the UFC to go the distance against Justin Gaethje.

Post-fight scenes revealed both fighters being taken to hospital, where Michael Chandler reportedly received 22 stitches.

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#1. Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are both former champions

Michael Chandler, who made his debut in the UFC earlier this year at UFC 257, is a former three-time Bellator lightweight champion.

Chandler's MMA record speaks volumes about why he's one of the top contenders for UFC gold. According to his website, he has the highest number of knockout and submission wins in Bellator lightweight history.

Interestingly, he shares the same number of wins as Conor McGregor in his MMA career – 22.

If that wasn't enough, Michael Chandler has also bested two former UFC lightweight champions - Eddie Alvarez and Benson Henderson - during his stint with Bellator.

Conor McGregor, on the other hand, is a former two-division UFC champion and has been UFC's poster boy for years. Known for his raucous personality, the Irishman has headlined some of the biggest pay-per-view events in the promotion, like UFC 229 and UFC 264.

He also holds the record for the fastest knockout in a title fight for his performance at UFC 194, when he knocked out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds to win the UFC featherweight championship.

However, both fighters are arguably past the stage where they can keep up with the intensity of combat sports for long. While Conor McGregor turns 34 next year, Michael Chandler will be 36. Considering the limited time they are left with in their careers, both will be gunning for another title shot at the earliest.

Naturally, neither Conor McGregor nor Michael Chandler will be looking to give an inch when they square off in the octagon.