UFC veteran argues that UFC 303 Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight's hype has increased after Dublin press conference cancellation
UFC veteran Chael Sonnen has argued that the cancellation of Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler's Dublin presser has only intrigued fans more about the future bout.
McGregor vs. Chandler was officially confirmed back in April following UFC 300. The pair are set to headline the upcoming UFC 303 pay-per-view, which takes place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Following the announcement of their bout, it was then revealed that UFC was planning on returning to Dublin, Ireland for a special one-off press conference on June 3. However, the promotion confirmed earlier this week that the presser had been canceled, leading to speculation that McGregor vs. Chandler was potentially off.
Check out the UFC's tweet here:
Weighing in on the situation was Chael Sonnen, who was speaking to his co-host Daniel Cormier on the latest episode of their Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast.
Whilst some fans and MMA media are frustrated about the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler situation, Sonnen has revealed he sees it in an entirely different light. According to the 'The American Gangster', canceling the press conference has generated more buzz about the fight than if it had gone ahead as planned. He explained:
"I like the speculation...I think the guessing is a little bit more fun. Not having a press conference created more press than the press conference could have. At the end of the day, though it was not the designed result, Conor McGregor once again from a marketing stand point gets an A."
Catch Sonnen's comments below (1:14):
Dana White compares Conor McGregor to Muhammad Ali
Dana White recently opted to praise Conor McGregor and his unwaivering mentality during an appearance on the FLAGRANT podcast.
'The Notorious' is without doubt the biggest star in MMA history and achieved that feat with a combination of his skills in the ring and on the microphone. Outside of the octagon, McGregor is also often revered as one of the greatest trash-talkers in the sport.
During the podcast, White was asked about the current ambiguity surrounding McGregor vs. Chandler and whether or not he believes it is just mind games by the Irishman. White then responded by comparing McGregor boxing icon Muhammad Ali. He said:
''I don't give a f**k what anybody says. Ali and Conor are on the same level when it comes to mental warfare. They are the two best of all time when it comes to mental warfare."
He continued:
''He's [McGregor] picked rounds. I mean, the mental warfare this guy had on so many of his fighters. And he would make these guys play into his game, get into their heads. F**ing embarrass them.
Check out Dana White's comments here (1:09:53):