Michael Chandler is undeterred by Renato Moicano and others who feel he’s wasting time by waiting for Conor McGregor to be ready to fight.
Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor are expected to clash inside the UFC Octagon next year. They were originally planned to fight this year before McGregor’s prolonged absence from the USADA testing pool.
Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor battled as coaches during the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter with a fight announcement expected at its conclusion. But, as of this writing, the matchup hasn’t been booked for any upcoming UFC event.
It’s been nearly a full year since Michael Chandler’s last UFC fight; a submission defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281. Amidst Michael Chandler’s holdout, Moicano called Chandler “delusional” during a recent interview about the state of the division and McGregor.
Michael Chandler Responds To Renato Moicano’s Critiques
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Michael Chandler addressed Moicano’s remarks.
“I get people calling me delusional, ‘Why are you waiting? You’re wasting all these years.’…I believe we get lazy or we get busy, and at 37 years old, I feel better than a lot of 27-year-olds,” Chandler said. “Taking good care of my body and taking good care of my mind even with the wear and tear that I’ve put on my body…I’m not worried about the ‘getting old’ thing, I feel phenomenal, and I have a lot of tread left on these tires.
“If anything, I needed a little bit of rest…so, a little bit of time off isn’t a bad thing. I’m building things outside of fighting and people will be able to see the fruits of my labor when the time comes.”
McGregor hasn’t fought since shattering his leg against Poirier at UFC 264. He’s undergone an extensive recovery but remains adamant that he’s serious about a UFC return.
Moicano could potentially face Chandler or another top lightweight contender with a pair of wins in the Octagon. He hasn’t fought since a win over Brad Riddell at UFC 281 due to injury.
As the wait for McGregor’s return continues, Chandler isn’t budging from the big-money fight anytime soon. The UFC remains hard at work to try to make the fight happen after nearly a full year of promotion.