Boxing legend Paulie Malignaggi thinks the UFC ought to compensate Michael Chandler for the final two years he sat on the sidelines ready for a combat that was by no means going to occur.
At 38 years previous, Chandler’s window to compete on the highest stage is closing shortly. Sadly, the previous Bellator champion spent the final couple of years banking on a combat with Irish megastar Conor McGregor. The 2 superstars coached reverse each other on The Final Fighter final yr, but it surely was virtually a yr earlier than they had been lastly booked to headline an occasion in Las Vegas.
Sadly, their UFC 303 scrap by no means got here to fruition after McGregor bowed out of the bout weeks away from combat evening attributable to, of all issues, a damaged pinky toe.
Pissed off, Chandler lastly determined to maneuver on, reserving a rematch with former UFC light-weight titleholder Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in Madison Sq. Backyard. And whereas ‘Iron’ is hopeful that his long-awaited combat with ‘Mystic Mac’ will nonetheless occur, there are those that suppose the UFC ought to pay him for on a regular basis he spent sitting round as a substitute of taking advantage of his twilight years within the combat recreation.
“I’d love for Chandler to be financially rewarded for ready however I doubt it,” Malignaggi mentioned in a current interview with CanadaCasino.ca. “Who’s going to reward him? The UFC is run by essentially the most egocentric individuals. They underpay the fighters who combat — think about how they deal with the fighters who don’t. He ought to be compensated, however I’m unsure how they’d deal with that. I believe he deserves it, however he’s been ready on the sidelines for this combat, and it’s simply not going to occur for him.
“I really feel for Chandler. Combating is a tricky strategy to make a residing. It’s not straightforward. You get broken, your greatest years cross by, and you may’t return to achieve the degrees you need. Whenever you get to the purpose the place your greatest years are behind you, you’d hope for an enormous payday to make the remainder of your life extra comfy. This battle is widespread in fight sports activities” (h/t MMA Information).
Michael Chandler locations the blame on his shoulders
Whereas Malignaggi definitely makes some extent, Michael Chandler has repeatedly accepted duty for his actions, noting that at any time he might have referred to as up the UFC and requested for a combat as a substitute of holding out for his ‘purple panty evening’ in opposition to McGregor.
“No [there’s no more ill-will for McGregor],” Chandler advised MMA Combating’s Damon Martin. “Not any greater than I had at first. I don’t blame him for something, I actually don’t. The outsiders can look and say, ‘Man, he should hate Conor. Conor did this to him, Conor did that to him, the UFC did this to him.’ I did all this to myself.”
With McGregor nonetheless contracted for 2 extra fights contained in the Octagon, right here’s to hoping that Chandler will nonetheless get the possibility to money a multi-million greenback test in opposition to the Irishman earlier than wrapping up his blended martial arts profession.
