Michael Chandler claims he virtually fought at UFC 306.
Chandler, who has lengthy been tied to a struggle with Conor McGregor, now faces Charles Oliveira in a five-round, co-main occasion rematch at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at Madison Sq. Backyard. Throughout a media scrum at this previous Saturday’s pay-per-view occasion at Sphere in Las Vegas, Chandler revealed that after his scheduled bout with McGregor at UFC 303 fell by, the UFC needed to e-book a “BMF” title struggle with Holloway as a substitute.
“I virtually was going to struggle [at UFC 306],” Chandler stated. “It was provided to struggle Max. I respect Max as a result of Max is a champion, Max goes to beat Ilia Topuria, I consider.”
Chandler says he’s nonetheless going to maintain his choices open for the long-awaited struggle with McGregor, but additionally known as his bout with Oliveira a “No. 1 contender” struggle, and if McGregor isn’t prepared after that, “Iron” will gladly struggle light-weight champion Islam Makhachev.
So far as the Holloway struggle goes, Chandler accepted it, however he says — with full understanding of the scenario — that the upcoming challenger for Topuria’s featherweight title at UFC 308 turned it down.
“I believe it was life like for me as a result of I used to be already in camp, in form, and able to go,” Chandler defined. “I deliver that up, to not… you realize, guys throw this stuff on the market to behave like robust guys — I don’t do that to behave like a troublesome man. If I used to be Max, I wouldn’t have taken the struggle both. I used to be pumped up that, possibly, it was a attainable alternative — Chandler vs. Holloway, BMF belt, on the Sphere [at UFC 306] — but when I used to be him, I wouldn’t have taken it both.
“He was on trip, or doing one thing, he was having fun with some well-deserved day without work and wasn’t able to get in a camp and struggle somebody like me.”
Whereas Chandler didn’t get to face a person he has great respect for in Holloway at UFC 306, the three-time Bellator light-weight champion believes the fan-friendly tilt might actually occur subsequent yr.
“That’s a struggle, I believe, goes to occur in 2025 and I’m enthusiastic about it,” Chandler stated. “It’s Oliveira, it’s Islam, it’s Conor, it’s Max, we’ve acquired some enormous fights arising. They’re all going to be thrilling, you guys are going to be there, you’re all going to be masking, you’re all going to be on the sting of your seats.”
