Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is one of the most highly anticipated fights in the UFC.
Latest Update: After the recent boxing match between Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius, Conor McGregor was attending and TalkSPORT interviewed him ringside where he claimed:
“Chandler next, December, then Gaethje BMF, and then we’ll do Nate trilogy.”
Suggesting that there might be a McGregor vs. Chandler headline event coming sometime in December, perhaps December 16th.
Fans like me have been eagerly waiting for the announcement of the date and location of the fight.
The fight is said to occur after the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF).
McGregor, the two-division champ-champ, and Chandler, a former Bellator champion; a matchup between the two would undoubtedly be a storm.
Keep reading to learn what we know about this matchup’s date and location.
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The Ultimate Fighter: Season 31
The Ultimate Fighter: Season 31 is a reality television series produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and set to premiere on May 30, 2023, on ESPN+.
The season features two of the biggest names in the sport, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, as rival coaches.
The series will have eight episodes and run until August 15, 2023.
The fighters will be divided into two teams, Team McGregor and Team Chandler, and will compete in a series of challenges and elimination fights. The winner of the season will receive a contract with the UFC.
Sometimes, extra fighters win contracts, too, depending on their performance.
The Ultimate Fighter: Season 31 will end in a highly anticipated fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, scheduled for later in 2023.
The exact date of the fight has not been announced yet, but it is expected to be one of the biggest fights of the year.
Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will fight in the Lightweight division at the 155 lbs mark. Both fighters have a strong track record in the sport, with McGregor boasting a record of 22 wins and 6 losses and Chandler with 23 wins and 8 losses.
It’s difficult to predict the outcome of the fight, but many fans and analysts eagerly anticipate the matchup.
It seems like Conor would be the immediate favorite, but based on his recent unsuccessful fights with Dustin Poirier, anything is possible.
McGregor is known for his striking ability and precision, while Chandler is a well-rounded fighter with a strong wrestling background. It will be interesting to see how the two styles match up in the octagon.
When will they fight?
The highly anticipated match between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler is set to take place in 2023. However, the exact date of the fight is yet to be confirmed.
According to sources, the fight will take place after the season finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 31. The reality show features McGregor and Chandler as opposing coaches, and the two will face off in the ring at the end of the season.
Despite the lack of an official date, fans eagerly await the announcement of when the fight will take place.
McGregor’s last fight was in July 2021 against Poirer, when he broke his leg, so many are curious to see how he will perform after his recovery.
It is expected that the fight will take place at Lightweight or Welterweight.
The latter is possible since McGregor seems to have been packing on the muscle and weight recently since his injury, which might add an extra layer to the fight of either knockout power or grappling weight.
Overall, while the exact date of the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fights remains unknown, I’m sure it’s in the works between both fighters, the UFC and Dana White.
Where will they fight?
With a fight like this being such a huge potential revenue generator for the UFC, they’ll likely look for the biggest and best venue possible.
Two of Conor’s last three fights took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s one of the UFC’s favorite locations for putting on a huge event since it can hold a capacity of 20,000 for MMA fights.
But there is always the potential of a return to Madison Square Garden, the pinnacle venue for combat sports with a similar capacity of around 20,000.
Both options would likely sell out quickly, and the event would generate a massive viewership.
Predicting who will win
It’s becoming more difficult to predict what will happen in a McGregor fight, as despite his history and talents, many seem to think he’s way past his prime.
Chandler hasn’t been shy to take on anybody at Lightweight, but he’s had a mixed bag of results.
Fights against Oliveira, Gaethje, and Poirier were all unsuccessful, and those are fighters considered the cream of the crop in Lightweight.
But he has had some good results, beating Dan Hooker on his entrance to the UFC and landing a wild front-kick knockout on Tony Ferguson.
Conor hasn’t had nearly as much activity in the octagon by comparison in recent years.
His last two fights were against Dustin Poirier, in which he lost both.
Before that, he had a “tune-up” re-entry fight against Donald Cerrone in 2020 and made quick work of him.
The fight game has evolved quite a lot since Conor’s height between 2015-2018—notably the implementation of the low calf kicks, which Dustin used successfully against him.
Despite all these things, I think that if Conor can handle Michael’s burst energy early in the fight and discourage him from trying to flurry or take him down, then he has the upper hand to pick him apart.
But who knows what will happen? We’ll have to wait to find out later in 2023.
Pro fighter predictions
Professional UFC fighters have already had their say on who they think would win the matchup. Check out these opinions below:
Colby Covington says Chandler is “washed up”:
“I do think he beats Chandler. I think Chandler is a little washed up now. He didn’t even do anything in that other beat-level organization, he was getting beat by scrubs.”
Colby Covington on MMA Pros Pick, James Lynch YouTube channel
Bryce Mitchell says, “I think McGregor’s on steroids”:
“I don’t think they’re going to test him [McGregor] properly, I think he’ll win on steroids. But if they test him I think it’ll be a good fight.
I’m rooting for the American.”
Bryce Mitchell on MMA Pros Pick, James Lynch YouTube channel
Curtis Blaydes thinks Chandler will tire out McGregor:
“It’ll be competitive, the first two rounds, then after the third round you’ll start to see McGregor start to tire.
I think Chandler will be able to find the finish.”
Curtis Blaydes on MMA Pros Pick, James Lynch YouTube channel
Billy Quarantillo said it’d be McGregor’s big comeback:
“I think it’s going to be Conor McGregor’s big comeback fight. I think stylistically he’s beaten guys like that.
I heard the fight’s going to be at 170 [lbs], I think that favors McGregor, he’s got a little more range.”
Billy Quarantillo on MMA Pros Pick, James Lynch YouTube channel
Pedro Munhoz thinks Chandler’s brawling will cost him:
“I like Chandler, he’s a nice guy. But he’s a type of a brawler, like I am.
Sometimes that can cost him, especially against a guy like Conor McGregor. Good boxing, good precision.”
Pedro Munhoz on MMA Pros Pick, James Lynch YouTube channel
Check back later when MMA Hive has more details about this epic fight.
