UFC lightweight addresses Conor McGregor's mind games ahead of Michael Chandler fight, predicts bout to be "all about the first round"
Conor McGregor's psychological warfare and overall readiness for his UFC 303 matchup with Michael Chandler have caught the interest of fellow lightweight Beneil Dariush. In a recent interview with The Schmo, he touched on the most prevalent element of the buildup to a McGregor fight: trash talk.
Dariush believes that McGregor has played his part well in trying to unnerve and unsettle Chandler by making the latter question when the fight would take place, if at all. It is no secret that Chandler has been determined to face the Irishman for some time due to the massive payday such a bout promises.
"If you think about it, if you want to get under [Michael] Chandler's skin, this is the way to do it. Chandler's been able to give him [Conor McGregor] a hard time as far as just staying cool. For Chandler, it's just a treat to fight this guy. He knows he is going to make more money. The name, the fame."
For his actual fight prediction, Dariush admits that he had initially felt that McGregor's timing and precision would enable him to dominate Chandler, who is reckless and often steps in deep with looping punches, opening himself up to being countered as he lunges in.
However, he now believes that due to McGregor's inactivity and Chandler's rigorous training, the fight could be more difficult to predict. However, he ultimately feels that the bout will be determined in round one.
"I really thought Conor was going to just piece him up, because Conor's timing when Conor's on is so good. The problem is Conor has not been in action. Chandler has, and being in action makes a difference. It's like a pick up fight, because whoever gasses out first or whoever knocks the other guy out first, it's all about the first round in my opinion."
Check out Beneil Dariush's take on Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler (0:15):
For now, Dariush and fans can only hope that nothing arises to derail the UFC 303 main event.
Conor McGregor has claimed that he won't trash-talk Michael Chandler
Conor McGregor is MMA's most well-known trash-talker. However, ahead of his upcoming welterweight bout with Michael Chandler, the Irishman has vowed not to engage in trash talk.
"I don't think I'll go to that level [of trash talk] again. It doesn't serve a purpose and it doesn't serve me will."
Check out Conor McGregor's comments about his trash talk (11:53):
Whether he has truly abandoned the art of trash-talking remains to be seen. However, he did withdraw from a scheduled promotional press conference for the event for undisclosed reasons.