“I Wasn’t Scared”: Michael Chandler Believes TUF Gave Him an ‘Edge’ Over Conor McGregor’s Mind Games

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler both spent a considerable amount of time with each other while filming ‘The Ultimate Fighter’. Regardless, everyone knows fight camp and promo Conor is a menace to deal with. But the former Bellator champ still believes TUF gives him an edge as he was ‘not scared’ ahead of their clash at UFC 303.

Chandler is currently in the thick of his training camp as the fight against McGregor is just over a month away. As he prepares for his fight, he took time out to speak to the UFC about how he was feeling going into the biggest payday of his entire career.

“It was very interesting. What TUF really did for me, the best thing that it did for me, it wasn’t the trash talk, it was me standing confidently on my own two feet,” Chandler said. “I wasn’t scared or didn’t act like a tough guy. I did neither. I wasn’t shaken; I was copasetic. That gave me an edge.”

 

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‘Iron’ went on to add his thoughts about McGregor and him being the same in size. So the weight class never mattered to him. So it didn’t matter how size Conor came in, or how long it would take him to get there.

2 years later, lo and behold, ‘Red Panty Night’.

Michael Chandler set to reap the benefits of his patience

Multiple times during these two years, fans and pundits alike were convinced that McGregor would never return to action and that Chandler was wasting his time. However, ‘Iron’ had complete faith in the UFC and the promise that they had made him.

McGregor didn’t make it easy though. From not talking about the fight to making movies in the meantime, the Mystic Mac just couldn’t give a ‘fook’. But hey, all’s well that ends well.

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Now Chandler might still get knocked out cold, given his penchant for making irrational decisions, for the lack of a more parliamentary word to describe his fighting history.

He has rushed in, trying to entertain and fight in a high-octane slugfest, when he could have used his explosive blitzkriegs periodically to dictate fights.

Regardless, as he takes on McGregor, early signs show he is in for a bumper payday. No, really, this is not a joke. This fight is going to feed generations of Chandlers to come.

The UFC 303 event has already set a record for the highest gate surpassing the $20 million mark. While there is no information about the PPV buys, it can be said with confidence that it will easily cross the 1 million pay-per-view mark.