Michael Chandler thinks he will be “a nightmare” for Conor McGregor in the UFC octagon

Michael Chandler is confident that he will be “a nightmare” for Conor McGregor if the two meet in the future. The former Bellator champion is set to make his long-awaited UFC debut against Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. On the same night, Conor McGregor will take on Dustin Poirier in a rematch at the main event.

Considering the 34-year-old served as a back-up for the title bout between lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, a win over Hooker could very well make him a major contender for the title. If The Iron comes out on top, he could go on to face number one ranked Gaethje or the winner of Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 2. And if it happens to be the latter, and McGregor wins, Chandler believes he would get his hand raised.

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Michael Chandler on fighting Conor McGregor

The former Bellator champion recently sat down with ESPN where he claimed that he could beat Conor McGregor, with the help of his elite wrestling, “plus the power in my hands, plus my ability to mix up the striking with the takedowns, plus my ability to push the pace”. However, Chandler claimed that he respects the Notorious One as “Conor is continuing to come into his own”.

“Of course I want that possible fight (with Conor McGregor). Do I think I match up extremely well against Conor? Absolutely,” he added.

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Conor McGregor is coming off a 40-second knockout win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. The fight marked his return to the sport after he was defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission at UFC 229. As mentioned, he will face Dustin Poirier in a rematch at UFC 257, which is set to take place on January 23. The two first collided in a featherweight bout at UFC 178, where McGregor came out victorious by a first-round KO.

Michael Chandler is currently on a two-fight winning streak, both of which came by first-round KO over Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson respectively. Before that, he lost to Patricio Freire, giving up his lightweight title.

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Image Source: Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor/ Instagram