Despite never meeting in the octagon, Conor McGregor helped Michael Chandler big time, upping his stocks and giving him an oomph like never before. While Chandler is 2-3 in the UFC, with the supposed fight against McGregor, he is now a top-five draw in the promotion, and this according to Chael Sonnen is what the American set out to do.
Speaking to his Good Guy/ Bad Guy co-host, Daniel Cormier, the UFC veteran pointed out Chandler’s win-win situation and said that it doesn’t matter if the fight takes place. Sonnen claimed that Chandler was a top-5 draw which he didn’t see coming after his last fight.
“I think all this media, all this attention, the things that are dangling, you and I discussing them. I think he has actually gone up. I think he got what he wanted without having to throw a punch.”
Love him or hate him, the man has a point here. Even though the former Bellator champion was a household name in the community with his stellar performances at his previous job, racking up the lightweight title, he couldn’t get the numbers behind him.
Credits: Imago
And now that, he has waited for a year, and is willing to wait even longer, Chandler has caught the imagination of the fanbase.
Furthermore, despite suffering three losses against Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliviera, Chandler, courtesy of his linking with McGregor has captured the attention of the community and looks to carry it forward into his fights.
Sonnen even took a few digs at Chandler, giving him a new name in the process mentioning his noble and patient self.
Sonnen dubs Michael Chandler ‘weatherman’
Patience is a virtue and ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler certainly knows a thing or two about that. Particularly, the American powerhouse had to wait for over a year to matchup against McGregor and it seems like he will and can wait for another year for the organization to get him the million-dollar bout against McGregor.
He was offered the title shot against Islam Makhachev which he refused and is still waiting for that fat paycheck. Mocking Chandler’s lenience, Sonnen said,
“Assume his new role as a weatherman, I assume that’s what he’s prepping for…He’s asking for a fight against Conor McGregor that simply can’t happen.”
Well, this is not the first time Chandler has taken a shot for his actions. Earlier, the LW champ, Makhachev also took a sharp dig, denouncing Chandler’s professionalism as a fighter while putting his integrity into question and calling him a pet to the Irishman’s wishes.
