Michael Chandler shares Conor McGregor fight update, says showdown could happen "quicker than people think"
Conor McGregor is still the apple of Michael Chandler's eye, at least in terms of the fighters he wants to face inside the octagon. A recent interview between 'Iron' and renowned MMA reporter John Morgan has popped up on X/Twitter on the latter's official account, during which Chandler addressed his bout with McGregor.
As he had previously sworn, Chandler will be present for UFC 303 despite no longer headlining the event. Based on his words, the delay in his expected matchup with McGregor could be shorter than many anticipated, which would justify Chandler's continued pursuit of the fight.
"I signed a contract that said I would be at UFC 303. So, I'm a man of my word, I showed up to the UFC 303. So, obviously it's International Fight Week, it's bittersweet for me, obviously, because I'm not fighting this weekend."
Chandler was previously scheduled to face McGregor in the main event of UFC 303, but a broken toe forced the Irishman to withdraw from the bout. For now, Chandler will be at UFC 303 promoting the Hiatus Tequila brand, with which he has partnered.
"But, when life hands you lemons, you make some lemonade and you also drink some Hiatus. We're doing a bottle sign here at Lee's Liquor, so it's a bittersweet weekend, but we're having a good time and we should hopefully be off hiatus quicker than people think."
Check out Michael Chandler's comments about still fighting Conor McGregor:
Despite 'Iron's' optimism, UFC CEO Dana White has refused to offer even a prospective timeline for McGregor's return, believing that it isn't worth talking about until the latter is fully recovered.
Conor McGregor has called on Michael Chandler to continue waiting on his return
While many have opined that Michael Chandler should not spend any more time on the sidelines than he already has waiting for Conor McGregor's return, the former UFC double champion himself has advised 'Iron' to exercise patience.
"Chandler is getting paid 10x of what his contract states for other fights. Meaning he would need to fight 10 fights to make what he would make in this one. I'm The One."
He said as much on X/Twitter, encouraging Chandler to remain part of the plan. He even claimed that the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion would need to fight 10 times to earn the kind of money he stands to make from fighting McGregor once.