Conor McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion, was called out by a lightweight contender as the reason for Michael Chandler’s recent struggles. McGregor and Chandler coached opposite each other on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 31, but a fight between them never happened.
Chandler was supposed to face McGregor in the main event of UFC 309, but “The Notorious” McGregor pulled out with an injury. “Iron” Chandler had waited nearly two years for that fight.
Why Was Conor McGregor Blamed for Michael Chandler’s Losses?
On a recent episode of the “Show Me The Money” podcast, host Renato Moicano blamed McGregor for derailing Chandler’s career. Moicano has been openly critical of Chandler, saying the lightweight prioritizes putting on a show over winning.
Moicano said, “A lot of people gonna trash on me because I’m trashing Michael Chandler, but in reality, McGregor destroyed his career, brother. I think that was f****** McGregor’s fault, brother. You know, two years without fighting, waiting, waiting, waiting.”
The 35-year-old, currently ranked No. 10, said he’s at a point in his career where he wants to stay active. Because of that, Moicano believes Chandler, who is older, made a poor decision by waiting.
He said: “I think that was a huge mistake by Michael Chandler, be waiting for McGregor. I know it’s the money fight, but you cannot count on McGregor. You know, he’s talking about being president. You know, he’s talking about motherf****** President of Ireland. Imagine that, you know?”
Chandler is 2-5 in the UFC and currently riding a three-fight losing streak. He made the top 10 after knocking out Dan Hooker in his UFC debut, but a recent loss to Paddy Pimblett dropped him out of the rankings.
UFC Fighter Explains Why McGregor vs. Paddy Pimblett Is the Fight To Make
After Paddy Pimblett scored a third-round TKO over Chandler, Brendan Schaub said Pimblett vs. McGregor should be next. In the same podcast episode, Moicano backed the idea and gave a unique reason.
Moicano said, “McGregor is the cash cow of the UFC. And not only that, because I think that would be a very strange matchup. You know, you have a Irish motherf***** with an accent that nobody understands, and then you have an English motherf***** that is even worse. Imagine that press conference, you know?”
The 36-year-old said the press conference alone would be unforgettable — and the kind of fight he’d pay to watch.
After his UFC 314 win, Pimblett called out Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier in his Octagon interview with Joe Rogan. McGregor had already said he was watching Chandler vs. Pimblett closely. After Pimblett won, McGregor hinted at a comeback.