"Steel crushes iron" - Conor McGregor brings spotlight back on 'motivational speakin handbag' Michael Chandler with violent bone-break threats
Conor McGregor has seemingly brought back the spotlight on his potential comeback opponent Michael Chandler by taking a jibe at him.
McGregor's most recent fight witnessed him sustain an injury to his left leg and lose via first-round TKO against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The Irishman has been on hiatus from professional MMA competition ever since. However, he did serve as a coach on the UFC's TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) reality show earlier this year.
The UFC megastar featured as a coach on TUF 31 opposite rival coach, UFC lightweight Michael Chandler. On that note, for the past several months, the consensus had been that McGregor's comeback fight would likely see him face Chandler this year.
Regardless, since Conor McGregor hasn't re-entered the USADA testing pool yet, it's believed that his return is unlikely to transpire this year and would probably materialize in 2024.
McGregor has now taken to Twitter to jibe at Chandler and suggest that he'd break the American fighter's bones if they clash inside the octagon. 'The Notorious' tweeted:
"I’m not messing one bit, the bones at the top of my shoulders, break faces and noses and teeth easily. I’d fancy them to break a jaw handy. Isn’t that just crazy. It’s like they are made of a steel of some kind. #ShouldersMcGregor"
Conor McGregor alluded to the fact that he'd gotten a steel rod inserted into his left leg after his July 2021 injury. The MMA superstar further appeared to reference Michael Chandler's moniker 'Iron' and also seemingly mocked Chandler for his reputation of giving motivational speeches. In another tweet, McGregor wrote:
"I’ve industrial steel in my leg now, and I’ve long natural steel in the shoulders and elbows and knuckles of the fist. I’m over 3/4 steel. And steel crushes iron. Crushes the little bones in irons face. Out with the iron you little bosu ball motivational speakin handbag."
Is Conor McGregor fighting Michael Chandler?
Presently, it's unclear as to whether or not Michael Chandler has been officially booked to serve as the opponent for Conor McGregor in the Irishman's comeback fight.
Speaking of which, McGregor was in attendance for the Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius boxing match at The O2 Arena in London, England, on August 12th, 2023. At the event, the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion reiterated that his comeback matchup will indeed be against Chandler.
During a ringside interview with TalkSPORT's Gareth A. Davies, McGregor indicated that he'll fight Michael Chandler this December, then face newly-crowned BMF champion Justin Gaethje, and later clash against Nate Diaz in their trilogy fight. 'The Notorious' stated:
"[Michael] Chandler next, December. And then [Justin] Gaethje BMF, and then we'll do Nate [Diaz] trilogy."
Check out McGregor's comments in the video below:
Meanwhile, Michael Chandler recently posted a pair of tweets, implying that he's headed for a possible media appearance at ESPN headquarters. 'Iron' hinted that the date for his long-awaited matchup against Conor McGregor could potentially be revealed soon.