Michael Chandler: ‘I think I hit harder than Conor McGregor’

Michael Chandler: ‘I think I hit harder than Conor McGregor’

Michael Chandler‘s long wait for Conor McGregor to return is almost over.  The two are scheduled to headline the UFC 303 fight card on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

McGregor hasn’t fought since July 2021 at UFC 264.  He suffered a broken leg in the final seconds of the opening round in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier.  Chandler last fought in November 2022 at UFC 281, losing to Poirier via submission.  

McGregor and Chandler coached The Ultimate Fighter 31 last summer against one another.  Heading into their June 29 showdown, Chandler doesn’t think McGregor is what he used to be before the injury and layoff.  

“I’d say he’s the better striker from a crisp, longer, more sniping standpoint.  He’s got that great step-back left.  He’s had great success with guys who aggressively fight him who hare a little bit shorter than him.  Stocky wrestlers with an overhand he calls it,” Chandler said on the Shawn Ryan Show.     

“What I need to work on for this fight is continue to be the best version of myself.  Maybe a little bit more tactical realizing that I’ve earned this.  Realize that I am the better fighter.  I am the tougher fighter, and the guy that deserves it more,” Chandler continued.  “I don’t need to getting into a fire fight with a guy who has got a bigger riffle than me.  I think I hit harder than he does.  

“I would venture to say his time out of the cage has lent itself to his timing not being what it used to be.  His movement not being what it used to be.  His reflexes not being what they used to be being out of cage now for, it will be three years by the time we fight.  So I’m just going to, from the first exchange, hit him with big punches, make his second guess himself, keep my hands up a little bit more than I have in the past, pick him up and put him down if I want to, choke him if I want to, go out there and get the finish and just absolutely outclass and dominate him because I deserve this and I’ve earned this.”   

Related: Daniel Cormier wants Conor Mcgregor vs. Michael Chandler to be for the 165-pound title

Chandler plans to ‘drown’ McGregor with a relentless pace and a solid game plan.  In fact, he expects McGregor to ‘look for the exit’ early in the fight.  

“The goal is to suck all of the oxygen out of the octagon.  He’s already ready to down with the lifestyle that he has lived and the work that he has not put in over the last couple of years,” Chandler said.  “I believe we suck the oxygen out of the octagon.  He looks for the exit sign somewhere in the second round and I usher him toward the door.”