Please excuse Michael Chandler if his voice is slightly hoarse at the moment.
“I’ve to inform everyone, ‘Hey, I’m not sick. I actually injured my voice on Monday Night time Uncooked,’” Chandler stated with amusing on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
“Earlier than I went on, one of many producers was like, ‘Hey, this microphone is gated,’ and I’m like, ‘Hey, what’s gated imply?’ He’s like, ‘Gated means you must converse up.’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t suppose that’ll be an issue.’ However the second took over and a star was born.”
Chandler, 37, shocked the fight sports activities world this week when he made an impromptu look on WWE’s flagship program, snatched the microphone, then minimize a livid promo calling out Conor McGregor for his or her nonetheless unbooked combat.
Chandler’s eventful evening rapidly went viral throughout the twin worlds of MMA {and professional} wrestling. And in keeping with the previous three-time Bellator champion, it was all off the cuff.
“Two minutes earlier than, they stated, ‘Hey, they’re going to place the digicam on you.’ I stated, ‘Why don’t you give me that microphone?’” Chandler recalled. “They usually stated, ‘Maintain on, let me run it up the flagpole actual fast.’ After which a couple of minute later, they stated, ‘Hey, you’re occurring in a minute and also you’re going to get the microphone in order for you the microphone,’ after which magic occurred. … Lower than 5 minutes [of notice]. There was nothing ready. Nothing. I used to be thrown into the hearth. Smacked myself a few instances after which we went.
“There’s no video footage of me taking my shirt off, however Pat McAfee stated I took my shirt off [after], so bought the gang into it, I used to be flexing on everyone. It was enjoyable, man. It was a number of enjoyable, and man, I’m uninterested in ready on Conor, so get his sweet ass again to the octagon.”
Chandler stated his proactivity was nicely obtained by the WWE brass. He stated he met with WWE chief content material officer and head of inventive Paul Michael Levesque — who’s higher identified by the ring moniker Triple H — after his tv spot and was advised that WWE “preferred what they noticed.” Whereas he dispelled rumors that the promo had something to do with plans for a crossover look at Wrestlemania, he did categorical curiosity in additional kicking down the door for future company synergy between UFC and WWE now that the 2 manufacturers are working below the identical TKO Group Holdings umbrella. Chandler additionally implied that his look wouldn’t be “the final you’re going to see of me within the WWE, probably.”
“We’ll see,” Chandler stated. “Clearly there’s a crossover there. Ton of respect for the wrestlers, the brass there. They’ve a ton of respect for the UFC. It was actually cool being there, watching different athletes and entertainers and performers, and [them] being enormous followers of combined martial arts, and me of them. So it was actually cool. There’s a number of synergy there and the sky’s the restrict with regards to TKO Group and what we will do within the crossover, and yeah, man, it’s most likely simply the very starting.”
Chandler has been tentatively linked to a UFC return bout in opposition to McGregor since teaching in opposition to the Irishman on The Final Fighter 31 in early 2023. After a protracted, drawn-out saga, McGregor introduced his comeback combat in opposition to Chandler on New 12 months’s Eve for June 29 on the UFC’s annual Worldwide Struggle Week pay-per-view. UFC CEO Dana White has since denied McGregor’s claims, nonetheless, and maintained that there is no such thing as a combat on the books for the previous two-division champion. White reiterated that sentiment this previous weekend after UFC 298, stating that he nonetheless doesn’t know when — or if — McGregor will return.
McGregor, 35, has not competed since struggling a damaged leg in his July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, however has repeatedly voiced his displeasure about not being booked by the UFC.
Sadly, regardless of the excitement Chandler’s WWE look ignited, the previous Bellator light-weight champ stated there have been no developments on the McGregor entrance.
“There’s a number of sophisticated stuff occurring behind the scenes,” Chandler stated. “No person has needed to really feel like they’ve waited longer than me, proper? I’ve been able to combat since proper after The Final Fighter. However I additionally perceive the day off has been good, the time with my household has been good, enterprise has been booming outdoors of me combating within the cage for a paycheck. However finally, Conor’s bought his stuff occurring. He’s now selling Highway Home, that’s popping out in March. Clearly there was the USADA stuff after which now the brand new drug-testing stuff. There was simply all these totally different layers. Plus what Dana has stated, man — cash complicates issues. There’s some huge cash concerned on this combat.
“Everyone, whether or not you’re keen on him or hate him, you’ve bought to respect what [McGregor] has constructed, proper? So it has sophisticated issues. However both manner, the Chandler practice is constant to maneuver ahead, and we’re not getting off this practice. That is the combat that’s occurring. I can’t let you know a date, I can’t let you know a weight, however I can let you know the combat is going on. And I’ve manner too many assurances that this combat is going on to suppose in any other case. So there’s some dates that make sense — clearly UFC 300 made a number of sense, it actually did.
“I’ve bought to be sincere with you, I assumed that was what it was going to be. It makes a number of sense. Why wouldn’t you wish to headline the most important card that UFC has ever placed on? However finally, it’s not and we keep affected person, we keep coaching, we keep prepared.”
