Chael Sonnen predicts Conor McGregor loss to Michael Chandler: 'You don't get better at something by not doing it'

Chael Sonnen sees Michael Chandler spoiling Conor McGregor’s comeback at UFC 303.

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) welcomes McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) back to the octagon in the June 29 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Chandler has been training ever since McGregor’s name was brought to the table. McGregor has been busy promoting his alcohol brands, Forged Irish Stout and Proper No. Twelve, as well as starring in the movie “Road House,” before fully shifting his focus to the fight.

Based off of what he’s seen from Chandler and McGregor in the lead-up to the fight, Sonnen expects Chandler to be much better prepared.

“Michael Chandler is (going to win),” Sonnen told Bloody Elbow. “You have the most disciplined guy in the sport arguably, and you have the most undisciplined guy in the sport for sure. It’s one of those situations where when you do this conversation, everyone’s going to be lazy like I’m going to be right now and say, ‘Conor’s got a puncher’s chance and if Chandler stands up with him’ so on and so forth.

“I don’t know where you get that idea, a puncher’s chance. I know that’s something fun people say, but you’ve got to go back to Michael Moorer dropping the belt to George Foreman. There’s no such thing as a puncher’s chance. The better guy wins, he wins every single time. Michael Chandler could go out there and box with Conor at this point. You don’t get better at something by not doing it.”

McGregor will compete for the first time since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Meanwhile, Chandler is also coming off a long layoff, most recently suffering a submission loss to Poirier in November 2022.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.