Michael Chandler says anybody who discredits Conor McGregor because of his losing streak is either a "casual or a Conor hater"
Michael Chandler has asserted that anyone who discredits Conor McGregor due to his losses “is just either a casual or a Conor hater.”
Both fighters have recently expressed interest in fighting one another. During an appearance on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, Chandler praised McGregor’s skills and stated:
“It’s a different approach when you’re fighting a guy like Conor because fighting a guy like (Justin) Gaethje, who loves to brawl, is much easier than a guy who you’re really afraid to sometimes throw a punch at because of the shot that you don’t see coming as you’re pulling your hand back. So, you’ve definitely gotta be on your Ps and Qs with the striking. But then the coolest thing about Conor, too, is everybody always talks about how bad of a wrestler he is, how bad of a grappler he is. Chad Mendes took him down a couple times. He got taken down a couple times in the second (Nate) Diaz fight."
"He got taken down numerous times in other fights. And he has always kept his composure. His mental awareness capacity and stability inside of the octagon, inside the confines of competition – especially with how heightened the stakes and the senses are, inside of his fights, while everybody in the entire world is watching – it’s something to behold, man. He’s a different level of competitor. And anybody who discredits him because he’s lost fights is just either a casual or a Conor hater, to be honest with you.”
Watch Michael Chandler praise his potential future opponent, Conor McGregor, in the video below:
Conor McGregor has vowed to reclaim the UFC lightweight title
Michael Chandler is on a two-fight losing streak. The consensus is he’d have to string together a few wins before re-entering the UFC lightweight title picture. Conor McGregor has also lost two straight fights.
Unlike Chandler, Conor McGregor’s next fight could be a UFC lightweight title matchup. UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is set to defend his title next against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 on December 11th.
Dustin Poirier’s a longtime rival of Conor McGregor, having fought the Irishman three times inside the octagon. Poirier defeated McGregor twice in 2021 and leads their series of fights by a 2-1 margin.
Despite sustaining a horrific leg injury in their third bout at UFC 264, Conor McGregor warned that his rivalry with ‘The Diamond’ is far from over. Poirier, on his part, is seemingly open to fighting ‘Notorious’ for the fourth time when he returns from his injury hiatus in 2022.
McGregor recently tweeted that his next fight would be against whoever holds the UFC lightweight belt. Considering the variables at play, many MMA insiders feel if Poirier beats Oliveira for the title, a potential Poirier-McGregor matchup could be on the cards in mid-2022.