With Conor McGregor off the table (for now), Michael Chandler's UFC title aspirations amplify
Conor McGregor is officially in Michael Chandler’s rear-view now that he’s got another fight booked, but is McGregor completely out of the picture?
After putting his career on hold for nearly two years while he waited for the McGregor fight to materialize, Chandler finally moved on earlier this month when he signed on to meet Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 from Madison Square Garden. The fight, a rematch of their 2021 vacant lightweight title bout won by Oliveira, is scheduled for five rounds and will serve as the co-main event to the heavyweight title match between champion Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
It wasn’t necessarily easy for Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) to move on from what would’ve been a very lucrative showdown with the UFC’s biggest star in McGregor, but the former Bellator champion is comfortable with his current situation.
“I think I’ve now been put in a position with a No. 1 contender fight,” Chandler told MMA Junkie Radio on Thursday. “I still believe UFC gold and the No. 1 next to my name, or actually the “C” next to my name, is gonna happen in 2025.”
“C” as in champion is what Chandler means. Because the way he sees it, beating Oliveira wouldn’t just be exacting a measure of revenge. It would also put him at the top of the queue for a UFC lightweight title shot despite losing three of his past four.
In that sense, Chandler is perfectly at ease with his decision to move on from McGregor and believes fate might’ve intervened.
“I wasn’t willing to wait anymore, and Charles Oliveira is the perfect opponent, No. 1 contender fight, five rounds, co-main event, Madison Square Garden under Jon Jones vs. Stipe,” Chandler said. “It’s a huge opportunity. And honestly it keeps going through my mind that this is the way it was always supposed to be. I was supposed to lose to Charles in that first time I got the chance to fight for UFC gold, only to beat him in the rematch to become the No. 1 contender and then go beat … one of the greatest of all time already in Islam. And I believe that’s what’s going to happen.”
But McGregor still lurks, recently saying he wants to fight Chandler after the two of them were set to headline UFC 303 until McGregor broke his toe about a month before the event. Chandler isn’t holding a grudge against McGregor, with whom he coached against on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” last year, and still believes the fight could be made.
“For as much flack as the guy gets, you’ve still got to give the guy respect,” Chandler said. “I do believe that he likes the fight. I do believe that he and I have some unfinished business. … I think it’s a fight that he wants. It’s obviously the fight that I want. As I said, Conor McGregor is not my next opponent, but I am Conor McGregor’s next opponent.
“I do believe I beat Charles Oliveira on November 16th, and we’re gonna have some options – options to go fight Islam for the title, options to fight Conor if he’s got his house in order and it’s time for him to come back, Max Holloway for the BMF belt. There’s gonna be a lot of opportunities and a lot of options. I’m excited about it. It’s gonna be a big 2025 for the boy.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.