Michael Chandler wants to be the thorn in Conor McGregor’s dream and is looking to ruin his return to the octagon. The Irishman will come back to action three years after his last fight at UFC 264. He will take on the man he was supposed to face for season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter finale. As per the announcements, the fight takes place on June 29, and Chandler seems confident in his ability to outclass McGregor.
Ring Rust is a very real phenomenon where fighters who have been inactive for a while struggle to make a comeback. Michael Chandler believes Conor McGregor’s time away from the octagon will make him question himself when he enters the octagon.
Chandler sat down with Shawn Ryan for an extensive interview. During the conversation, he revealed his game plan for his fight against the Irishman. Chandler said,
“His time out of the cage has lent itself to his timing… movement… reflexes not being what they used to be….hit him with big punches, make him second guess himself… pick him up, put him down… choke him if I want to. Go out there and get the finish.”
Michael Chandler elaborated that he wanted to punish and dominate McGregor with punches, takedowns, and even takedown attempts. Well, ‘The Notorious’ has not been ‘dominated’ very often inside the octagon. The last time that happened was against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In the same interview, Michael Chandler spoke about his mindset when the bell rings and how he turns into a warrior.
Michael Chandler reveals how there is a switch that turns on every time he enters the octagon
When an UFC fighter enters the octagon, they do not think of anything else. The only thought inside their head is to beat their opponent, no matter the circumstances.
In conversation with Shawn Ryan, Michael Chandler spoke about the lengths he is willing to go to after stepping into the octagon. Reflecting on the same, ‘Iron’ stated,
“It’s in that moment that I go from Michael Chandler the Man to Michael Chandler the Warrior…The guy who doesn’t want to, but I am willing to die inside of this cage”
Michael Chandler stated that win, lose, or draw, being in the cage and fighting is what gives him purpose. Well, whether Chandler can successfully channel his inner fire on June 29 will be the deciding factor on which fighter comes out on the winning side.
