Should his long wait to fight Conor McGregor not bear fruit, UFC lightweight Michael Chandler does have another idea in mind…
It's been almost two years since the former three-time Bellator champion was in action. While the first few months of that period were spent recovering from the damage he sustained in defeat to Dustin Poirier, the majority has followed a trend of patience and commitment when it comes to who Chandler wants to face next.
"Iron" was announced as the comeback opponent for McGregor toward the start of 2023, with the pair first coaching opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter. But that series has been and gone, as have multiple rumored events for their fight and, most recently, one official date.
And after the Irishman withdrew from the UFC 303 pay-per-view main event this past June on late notice, many have reiterated their belief that Chandler is waiting around for a matchup that simply won't reach the cage.
During a recent interview with Lucky Block, the #6-ranked lightweight acknowledged that he's an "optimist" but did admit that readjusting his sights to another opponent is on the cards.
I am an optimist by default, so I do believe the Conor fight will happen. Right now, we are in a period where things are being talked about. What date? Is it Conor? Is it pivoting to a different fight? Is it making the best decision for me and my family? I love the idea that Conor and I did The Ultimate Fighter, we had a training camp, we signed on the dotted line. But as much as I respect Conor, my legacy is not hinged upon this fight. I am running my own race, and I'm continuing to move forward.
I am at the point now where we are looking at all of the options and not just fighting Conor. Things move fast, and the phone could ring at any time. I don't want to make it sound like I'm not focused on fighting Conor, but right now when no contract is signed, I’m excited to fight. I'm training every day, and I'm in the best shape that I have been in a very long time, and I'm ready to go out there, whether it's Conor or someone else. There's always going to be life after Conor if this fight never comes to fruition.
Should delays to the McGregor showdown continue, Chandler has pointed to a "realistic" alternative...
During the same interview, Chandler was asked to identify his options should the uncertainty surrounding McGregor's layoff continue.
After highlighting Max Holloway as the "most exciting" opponent, the ex-Bellator star pivoted to a rematch as a more likely battle, and one that could see him jump straight back into title contention at 155 pounds.
The most realistic option for me if you look at the landscape and you consider everything is Charles Oliveira. I love the rematch with Charles. I think it's a great fight to get the fans pumped up. I almost had him finished in the first round, and then I made a glaring mistake in the second round that I would never, ever make again. It was almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that I was working on in camp that turned out to be my demise.
Me and Charles for the number one contender spot. I beat Charles, knock him out in the first round, then all of a sudden I'm sitting at the number one contender spot, and I get to choose whether I fight Islam, or do I fight Conor next? And why not both?
Chandler shared the Octagon with Oliveira in just his second UFC fight, riding a successful debut opposite Dan Hooker into an immediate shot at the then-vacant lightweight title in May 2021.
"Iron" was on the ascendancy in round one and appeared seconds away from finding a finish. But after "Do Bronx" survived, he came out in the second frame and caught Chandler with a clean left hook, finding the knockout finish soon after.
The 38-year-old has frequently expressed a desire to get that loss back before his UFC career comes to a close. And should his continued push to welcome McGregor back to action fail, perhaps Chandler will put his focus back on UFC gold and redemption against Oliveira.
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