Michael Chandler has been burned many times regarding the booking of a Conor McGregor fight but the former multi-time Bellator MMA champion stilll keeps calling out the Irishman all the same. 'Iron' Michael explained some of his logic behind this during an interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie. This interview was the first that Chandler has done since his devastating setback against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 and articulated what he wants next.
Michael Chandler Calls Out Conor McGregor
On, Conor McGregor Chandler said:
"It was really funny. I was sitting around with a buddy and we have the same exact anniversary. I looked it up—January 24th is my wife and I's anniversary, and it just so happens to be a Saturday. So I was like, 'Let's throw that out there, let's speak it into existence.' The turn of the new year, probably a new TV deal these guys are working on. If that Conor McGregor fight is out there and that needs to happen in January, that makes a lot ofsense.
"I get asked about it almost every single interview, and rightfully so—the Conor-Chandler thing just stays alive. We were supposed to fight in June, we did The Ultimate Fighter, we have to finish The Ultimate Fighter. If me and Conor McGregor are supposed to fight and he's supposed to come back, it's going to happen. I don't need to force it. If I'm a betting man, I'm not sure if he comes back. Do I want to fight him? Do I want to finish The Ultimate Fighter 31? Absolutely."
Michael Chandler touches on the Paddy Pimblett setback
Michael Chandler has given his first interview since his loss to the former Cage Warriors champion and is finally shining some light on that performance almost fifty days after the loss. In the same interview with MMA Junkie, Chandler spoke about how he felt like like he couldn't get his rhythm or his range when fighting the surging UK star in their Miami matchup. Michael Chandler mentioned that when he finally started somewhat settling into things a bit more, he ate that emphatic knee to the face from Paddy Pimblett and felt like it was the end of it when he was taken down thereafter.
It will be interesting to see the next move for Chandler who aims to rebound from setbacks to Pimblett, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier. Chandler mentioned he wants to take the Summer off and seems to prefer to map out a return bout for later on in the year.
