As Michael Chandler continues to wait on an official date for his fight against Conor McGregor, the UFC lightweight superstar reveals if there is a point in 2024 where he would actually give up on a bout with the MMA superstar.
It has been nearly a year since the UFC announced former two-division champion Conor McGregor would make his long-awaited return to the Octagon. The Irishman was set to coach opposite Michael Chandler on the 2023 edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” and then the two would go on to face each other later in the year. However, that never happened.
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A major reason why the McGregor vs. Chandler matchup has never received an official date since the two signed a contract in February has been due to McGregor’s hesitancy to rejoin the USADA drug testing pool. This also brings with it a six-month wait period before UFC athletes can officially step back into the Octagon.
It wasn’t until November that the globally known fighter finally reentered the USADA pool and opened the door to an actual fight date being set. However, as Chandler enters his eleventh month waiting for a date, he admits he has been very frustrated with the process.
Michael Chandler says there is no point where he would give up on booking Conor McGregor fight
But for a fighter who has expanded his brand in the business world — including as an investor with Hiatus Tequilla — he has tried to be patient and instead focus his energy on his various ventures while he waits.
“I’m not gonna lie and say there haven’t been moments of frustration, but I have to practice what I preach,” Chandler told Sportsnaut. “I have gone on record and said ‘Shame on you if you’re an athlete and you only rely on that fight paycheck’ … If you don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit to monetize the platform you were given then that’s your own problem.
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“It’s not Dana White’s fault, not Hunter Campbell’s fault, and all these other people we want to point fingers at,” he added. “… This past year I have been focused on Hiatus, other businesses I am a part of, and investments while staying busy and having a ton of time to spend with my family. It’s frustrating at times but being in limbo and realizing you have no control frees up so much more energy because you realize to let it go and say it’s going to happen when it happens and let’s focus on what we can control.”
Yet, considering how long he has waited and that he is losing valuable fight years as he closes in on his 38th birthday in a few months, it would be understandable if there were a point at which he would give up on a McGregor fight ever happening and move on to another top start at 155-pounds.
However, Chandler claims he has been assured at the highest levels that a bout will be announced soon, so he has not set a deadline in 2024 for his career to go in a different direction.
“I’ve got my own inside information that says this fight is happening and it’s going to happen by a certain time,” he says. “None of that is public knowledge, [and] I haven’t been told exactly when it’s going to be, but stay ready, essentially. I have not given myself a hard deadline that says this date we’re moving on to fight the next guy, the next contender to get me close to that title shot.”
“Iron” admits that on a business level waiting to face Conor McGregor “makes 100% perfect complete business sense.” But even more than that, he is at a point in his career where he has set up a financial structure for himself that he doesn’t need to fight. Instead, it is all about competing in the biggest bouts possible and none get any bigger than against “Notorious.”
Recent reports have suggested Chandler vs. McGregor could headline UFC 300 which is expected to take place in April.