Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya shouldn’t be advising Michael Chandler to maneuver on utterly from Conor McGregor, however merely take a brief detour.
Chandler will now not face McGregor in the principle occasion of UFC 303 on June 29 after the latter suffered an undisclosed damage. Whereas there’s hope the bout might get re-booked for later this yr, no ensures have been made. So Adesanya—who challenges Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title in the principle occasion of UFC 305 on Aug. 17—suggests Chandler get again within the octagon to face a distinct opponent, as a result of the previous Bellator champ can have his cake and eat it, too.
“I believe that struggle goes to occur, regardless,” Adesanya stated on his YouTube channel. “Chandler ought to simply take a struggle [for the time being], and that’s even higher for him — win or lose — as a result of he’ll nonetheless get extra reps. Take a struggle, regardless. That Conor struggle is at all times going to be there as a result of they each confronted one another [as coaches] on [The Ultimate Fighter]. Beef, all that different stuff sprinkled throughout it.
“So yeah, that already is there. So simply take one other struggle I believe. Yeah.”
UFC CEO Dana White has stated that if Chandler desires to compete earlier than McGregor is able to return from the damage, he’ll make it occur. “Iron” appears steadfast on wanting to attend for McGregor since he’s been pot-committed ever since they coached TUF 32 in opposition to each other in 2023. Chandler hasn’t competed since struggling a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022.
It’s been an excellent longer layoff for McGregor, as he was set to return for the primary time in slightly below three years after struggling a nasty leg damage in his UFC 264 TKO loss to Poirier in July 2021.
