Following significant announcements, UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler appeared on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on Sunday to talk about his future in the organization. In the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, Michael Chandler competes against Conor McGregor as a coach.
Chandler made a big “Mystic Mike” prediction about McGregor when he weighed in on his booking: a second-round victory. From the first bell, the former Bellator champion intends to apply pressure and wear down his opponent in order to establish a door for a fight-ending shot in the second round.
Recently, Chandler said to ESPN MMA: “I believe I finish Conor in the second round. That’s my ‘Mystic Mike’ take on this, later on, this year, whenever that is.”
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) February 5, 2023
A single laughing emoticon was all Conor McGregor needed to respond to Chandler’s remarks. “I always visualize a big overhand right or left hook. That’s the shot that I really want to land every single time, and that’s the shot I’ve seen put guys down so many times in my career, put guys down in training, put guys down a million times in my mind.”
Michael Chandler believes Conor McGregor stays within specific bounds when using derogatory language.
Undoubtedly, Conor McGregor is one of the most skilled name-callers in the annals of combat sports. The Dubliner has even successfully employed his flair for oratory to mentally wear down his opponents, as we saw with Jose Aldo.
But when ‘The Notorious’ loses, as he did in his fights with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier, his provocative remarks frequently cross lines and lose much of their attraction. The former UFC double champion said offensive things about Poirier’s wife and family, which did not sit well with the audience.
The welterweight division in which Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler will take place will provide both competitors with plenty of flexibility to modify without jeopardising weight cutting. The inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter will begin in May and last through the remainder of the summer.