Gilbert Burns believes Conor McGregor is using Ryan Garcia-like tactics for his UFC 303 fight against Michael Chandler
UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns believes Conor McGregor may be using similar mind games to Ryan Garcia ahead of his bout against Michael Chandler. 'The Notorious' and Chandler are set to face off in the main event of the upcoming UFC 303 pay-per-view.
The June 29 card rounds off the UFC's annual International Fight Week and will mark a first return to action for the Irishman in almost three years. After months of speculation regarding their bout, Dana White confirmed the news during the UFC 300 post-fight presser.
Since then, both McGregor and Chandler have regularly shared training and sparring footage across their social media accounts as they prepare for the fight.
One thing McGregor has also continued to do, however, is appear to still be living his partying lifestyle. Despite his bout being just under a month away, the Dublin native is still regularly spotted partying at events and clubs.
Whilst some of the MMA community believe it is because Conor McGregor isn't taking the fight or his return seriously, Gilbert Burns believes it could be a masterful tactic at work.
On a recent episode of the Show Me The Money podcast, 'Durinho' compared McGregor's behavior to Ryan Garcia's before he faced Devin Haney.
According to Burns, he wouldn't be surprised if McGregor's antics and social media posts were actually a tactical ploy to make Chandler underestimate him, much like Garcia was successfully able to do against Haney. Burns said:
"I think he is [McGregor playing mind games with Chandler]. He's not drinking. I don't think he's drinking. He's playing a Ryan Garcia character. 100%."
Catch Burns' comments here (1:22:00):
Dustin Poirier shares prediction for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
Dustin Poirier recently made his official prediction for the UFC 303 main event between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.
'The Diamond' shares history with both men as he was the last opponent each of them faced. Poirier last time out stopped McGregor twice in 2021 before then finishing Chandler a year later.
In a recent interview with Fox News about the fight, the Louisiana native stated that he expects Conor McGregor to walk away victorious. He said:
“I think if Conor comes back anywhere similar to where he was before the injury, timing-wise and movement-wise, I think he’s gonna knock Michael Chandler out. It’s just a bad matchup for Chandler.”
Catch Poirier's comments here: