"I'd take him out behind the barn and put him down" - Michael Chandler reveals surprising opinion an Irish woman had on Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler is expected to welcome Conor McGregor back into the octagon sometime in 2024.
The two faced off against each other as coaches on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, and according to McGregor, will fight inside the octagon during International Fight Week in June.
Chandler recently made an appearance on the Bussin' with the Boys podcast, during which he spoke on a variety of topics.
Apart from previewing his fight with Conor McGregor, Chandler said:
"Anybody who has been over to Ireland and asked about the general sentiment of Conor McGregor is that he left the people behind him. They don't like that stuff."
Chandler suggested that the working class people of Ireland found it increasingly difficult to relate to the superstar that Conor McGregor turned into through the course of his career.
He went on to detail an encounter he had with one of the country's residents. Chandler said that he was at dinner when he met an Irish woman named Laura, and he asked her who she was "rooting for" in a potential McGregor vs. Chandler bout.
According to Chandler, she said:
"I tell you that we used to love Conor, but now, if I was a vet, I'd take him behind the barn and put him down."
Check out the interview here (1:01:27 for Chandler's comments):
Despite the negative comments, Chandler would also go on to say that he won't judge McGregor as he doesn't know "what it is to walk in that man's shoes."
Michael Chandler speaks on weight class for Conor McGregor bout
A big talking point surrounding the McGregor vs. Chandler matchup has been the weight it will be fought at. That's because McGregor, in his announcement, claimed that the bout will be at middleweight (185 pounds).
In the very same episode of the podcast, Chandler was asked if he cared about what weight class the fight takes place at. He replied (55:42):
"No, I don't. No, ultimately too because I've seen the comments and the general thread of what people think, it's like, 'Oh dude, if these guys fight at 185, worst fight ever, they're gonna gas out.' It's not like I'm going to bulk up to 210 and then cut down at 185. We fight at 185, I'm doing the exact same training camp with a couple more calories."
It appears that Chandler is open to fighting at 185 pounds, but it's still unclear what weight class the UFC will agree to.