Exclusive: Teammate Jason Jackson offers insight about Michael Chandler amid Conor McGregor fight drama
Jason Jackson recently shared his thoughts on the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight at UFC 303 later this month. The Bellator welterweight champion also opened up about Chandler's mindset ahead of the biggest fight of his career and all the ongoing drama surrounding it.
Jackson and Chandler train together at Kill Cliff FC under the tutelage of former Dutch kickboxer Henri Hooft. While the world of mixed martial arts is eagerly looking forward to McGregor making his return to action against Chandler at UFC 303 after almost three years away, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani recently reported that the fight may be in danger of being scrapped from the card.
After the highly anticipated UFC 303 press conference in Dublin was canceled unexpectedly at the last moment, fans began speculating that the fight may not materialize. Their worries were made worse after McGregor's latest post-and-delete on social media, showing an old video of him discussing injuries.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Jackson addressed his teammate's mindset with all the drama surrounding his next fight. Stating that Chandler was laser-focused on training, he said:
"He just kept it normal, I'm pretty sure because he's still in the gym... Yep, yep [fight is still going on]. He kept it normal. He's not stressing over anything. You can't tell the difference. He's the same as he has been for every other camp."
UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush weighs in on Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler drama
Beneil Dariush recently shared his thoughts on the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight. The UFC lightweight admitted that McGregor was doing well in terms of getting under Chandler's skin and opined that the outcome of the fight would depend on how the first round went.
During an interview with The Schmo, Dariush was asked about the controversial build-up to the McGregor-Chandler fight and to share his predictions for the bout. Giving the Irishman his flowers for playing the trash-talking game well, Dariush stated:
"If you think about it, if you want to get under [Michael] Chandler's skin, this is the way to do it. Chandler's been able to give him [Conor McGregor] a hard time as far as just staying cool. For Chandler, it's just a treat to fight this guy. He knows he is going to make more money. The name, the fame."
Dariush continued:
"I really thought Conor was going to just piece him up, because Conor's timing when Conor's on is so good. The problem is Conor has not been in action. Chandler has, and being in action makes a difference. It's like a pickup fight because whoever gasses out first or whoever knocks the other guy out first, it's all about the first round, in my opinion."