UFC: Michael Chandler confident he can match Conor McGregor’s trash talk with ‘linguistic jiu jitsu’
- Lightweight contender Chandler is angling for a fight with former two-division champ
- American believes he can beat ‘The Notorious’ inside the Octagon, and in the war of words outside it – ‘you might see a different side of me,’ he says
Michael Chandler believes he can beat Conor McGregor in a fight, and in the war of words that comes before it.
The former Bellator champion (22-7) is now one of the UFC’s top lightweight contenders, has been angling for a fight with Ireland’s McGregor since a decision loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 in New York City last month.
Speaking to ESPN this week, the 35-year-old again expressed interest in a fight with the Irishman.
“For me, obviously, as an athlete, the No 1 goal, I want to be the UFC champion,” Chandler said. “I want to be the No 1 guy in the world, but as fighters, we want big stages, big opportunities against big opponents in big arenas, and it doesn’t get any bigger than Conor McGregor.”
With 19 knockout wins on his resume, the 33-year-old McGregor (22-6) is one of the most effective strikers in the lightweight division, capable of shutting the lights out on any opponent with the right punch.
Should Chandler get his desired opportunity against the Irishman, however, he will have more to worry about than the fight itself – he will need to be ready for what happens before it, too.
