Renato Moicano isn’t particularly fond of diplomacy and his latest comment about Conor McGregor’s recent antics is a testament to it. With Michael Chandler now moving on to fight a new opponent after two years of waiting for a showdown with the Irishman, Moicano believes McGregor’s fight talk is nothing more than a clever marketing ploy.
According to the Brazilian UFC lightweight, McGregor’s not planning on stepping back into the Octagon anytime soon. Instead, he’s using the hype around his potential fights to keep fans hooked and boost his other business ventures.
It’s a bold claim, but Moicano seems convinced that ‘The Notorious‘ is done fighting and is simply using his larger-than-life persona to stay in the spotlight. The Brazilian fighter recently joined Inside Fighting to share his thoughts on McGregor’s return to the sport.
When asked what he made of Chandler moving on he said t the Irishman does not have the drive anymore especially when it comes to money. He is set for life and does not need to get punched in the face anymore.
“I have been talking this for two years. Chandler, get over this, McGregor is not fighting… Every time that he shows up and says ah I am fighting Chandler, he is getting this attention and bringing it somewhere else to a movie, to a product.”
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However, he feels that there is room for something crazy to happen and has not completely ruled out a return completely for the ‘Mystic Mac’, he just feels it is highly unlikely at the moment.
Unfortunately, for Chandler, this experiment cost him two years in the prime of his fighting career.
Chandler defends his decision to wait for McGregor
After waiting for two years, Chandler has finally moved on from the elusive McGregor fight. Instead, he’s set to face Charles Oliveira in a five-round rematch at UFC 309 this November.
While critics say he wasted his time holding out for McGregor, Chandler believes every fighter would have done the same. “Everybody wants that fight, no matter what they say,” Chandler told MMA Fighting.
Despite the missed opportunity, the American remains hopeful he’ll eventually welcome McGregor back to the octagon. For now, he’s focused on Oliveira and possibly a title shot in 2025.
“I still think Conor returns... But he’s not my next fight—I am his next fight”, Chandler asserted. Now no matter how it plays, hopefully Chandler can bag win in his next fight!
