Michael Chandler claims he wants to put Conor McGregor behind him: "I'm not gonna ever play the victim"
Michael Chandler recently opened up about the uncertainty surrounding his bout against Conor McGregor, which has constantly been postponed. 'Iron' made it clear that he just wants to get the fight over with so he can put the Irishman in the rear-view and move on.
The highly anticipated welterweight clash has been postponed for several reasons since being confirmed. Last year, the Irishman didn't re-enter the USADA testing pool in time to make it a possibility for UFC 296. When the bout was later confirmed for the promotion's International Fight Week pay-per-view this past June, McGregor was forced to withdraw due to a broken pinky toe.
During his appearance on Beat The Heat, the former Bellator lightweight champion expressed his desire in not having to worry about the Irishman anymore. Chandler said that he is eager to get the bout finalized, so he could defeat McGregor in spectacular fashion and reap the rewards for doing so:
"I'm not gonna ever play the victim...It's more just with all due respect, I'm ready to put you behind me. I'm ready to put you flat on your back in the middle of an octagon wherever it is, hopefully Las Vegas, Nevada. And I can walk out of that octagon and never have to think about you again. I can just ride the coattails of the eyeballs that were there that night."
Check out Michael Chandler's comments below:
When did Michael Chandler last compete?
The bout against Conor McGregor and postponements has resulted in Michael Chandler having waited two full years should it materialize this year.
The former Bellator lightweight champion last competed at UFC 281 in 2022, where he was submitted by Dustin Poirier. It was a significant bout, especially considering their respective place in the lightweight rankings. Although 'Iron' came out on the losing end, he earned a post-fight bonus for Fight of the Night as he and 'The Diamond' put on a show for the fans at Madison Square Garden.
Check out the UFC's tweet announcing Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler winning Fight of the Night below: