Michael Chandler predicts "head-on collision car crash" against Conor McGregor at UFC 303: "I promise you I'll be explosive"
Michael Chandler believes his upcoming fight against Conor McGregor will be a high-octane slugfest. 'Iron' has historically been an explosive fighter who never shies away from trading hands with his opponents, and the 38-year-old is aiming to bring the same energy against 'The Notorious'.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the fight, McGregor vs. Chandler is still scheduled for UFC 303 on June 29, according to the promotion's official website. The fact that the UFC recently released a new promo video for the bout is also a positive sign.
Talking about the upcoming fight on a recent segment of The Pivot Podcast, Chandler vowed that he is going to put pressure on the former two-division champion right from the opening bell:
"He is historically always a very exciting, explosive guy, right out of the gate. I'm historically, not even historically, I promise you I'll be explosive and run toward the center of that octagon on June 29, right when the fight starts and you're going to see two guys who are going to get into a head-on collision car crash in the middle of T-Mobile Arena on June 29 and may the best man win. And I have a sneaky suspicion on who it is."
Catch Michael Chandler's comments on Conor McGregor below (59:00):
According to the UFC's official website, Chandler is a slight favorite at -115, with the Irishman close behind at -105.
Conor McGregor is confident in his preparation for Michael Chandler bout at UFC 303
Despite being out of active competition for nearly three years, Conor McGregor is confident that his fight camp will perfectly prepare him to deal with anything Michael Chandler throws at him.
Speaking to The MacLife about his MMA return, 'The Notorious' stated that he's well versed with all the threats 'Iron' presents:
"I'm coming back with a vengeance and I'm coming back with skill... He has his set movements, set pattern he moves in, and his set shots. I'm aware of them and I'm preparing for a multitude of outcomes and you know, [I'm] getting myself as ready as I can be. And I'm confident that all my shots will land."
Catch Conor McGregor's comments on Michael Chandler below (11:00):
McGregor was last seen in action at UFC 264 in his trilogy fight loss against Dustin Poirier in 2021. He is 2-3 in his last five, with his last win coming at UFC 246 against the now-retired Donald Cerrone.
Interestingly 'Iron' also suffered a defeat to Poirier, in his most recent fight at UFC 281 in 2022. Chandler is also 2-3 in his last five, with his most recent win coming against Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 in 2022.