"Maybe die on that hill" - Michael Chandler spills if he regrets waiting for Conor McGregor, reveals major paycheck update for fight delay

Michael Chandler is backstage at UFC 303, and took the opportunity to talk about the delay for his bout with Conor McGregor. 'Iron' was initially scheduled to face the Irishman in the main event, but a broken toe forced 'The Notorious' to withdraw from the matchup.

Now, Chandler must wait for the Irishman to recovery while fending off criticism from the MMA world, with most constituents opining that he has wasted a sizable chunk of his twilight years. However, as Chandler spoke to ESPN MMA, he claimed to feel no regrets over how he has handled his career.

"I can tell you I do not regret a thing about this process. I do believe the way I have responded to how I have lived this out and how I've responded through every single aspect of this should be a blueprint for a lot of people to look to in how to handle uncertainty in your life. So, if I gotta be that guy who has gotta climb this hill, maybe die on that hill, we'll find out, then so be it."

When asked about the financial aspect of waiting for the fight and whether it means anything to him given how lucrative a McGregor fight is, Chandler was forthcoming. He said:

"We are prize fighters. That's what we do, that's what I do for a living. It's my number one job, my highest-paying job, but I think it says a lot that I've been the guy who has been outside of the octagon for the better of 18 to 20 months and haven't collected a UFC paycheck. Still got my house, still made investments, still have invested in numerous other companies. We got a bunch of stuff going on."

Check out Michael Chandler talk about the wait for his fight with Conor McGregor (6:00 and 7:14):

Fortunately, Chandler is financially secure, but he acknowledges how massive a payday with the former double champion will be once the latter returns from injury.