Michael Chandler answers who he would 'rather fight next' between Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor

Michael Chandler opened the floor for fan questions on a flight with perhaps time to kill. During the fan interaction on X, a user asked Chandler who would he rather fight next, Conor McGregor or Islam Makhachev. The choice seemed obvious for a top contender.

For a lot of fighters and fans, the answer would seem obvious since Makhachev is the reigning UFC lightweight champion. However, Chandler took a different approach and dropped a one-word reaction to the fan question:

“Conor.”

Check out Michael Chandler's reaction below:

The Chandler-McGregor rivalry has been brewing since The Ultimate Fighter 31. The American called McGregor out first after his highlight-reel knockout victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 back in May 2022.

Chandler was scheduled to face McGregor in a welterweight bout at UFC 303 on June. 29, 2024. However, McGregor was forced to pull out of the fight due to a toe injury.

Yet, despite Chandler’s persistence, McGregor’s return remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Chandler is set to take on rising UFC star Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 in Miami.

Chandler has lost four of his last five encounters inside the octagon. Despite the stretch of rough spell, the 38-year-old remains a top draw in the organization due to his entertaining fighting style. Meanwhile, Pimblett wields the strength of a six-fight win streak in the UFC with four finishes.

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Michael Chandler suggests an idea to fight Conor McGregor despite the Irishman's political dreams

Michael Chandler is still chasing a fight with Conor McGregor, even as the Irish star’s UFC return remains uncertain. Their long-anticipated bout has been teased several times but never materialized. Now, with McGregor running for Ireland’s presidency, Chandler is looking for other ways to make the fight happen.

Chandler recently suggested a bare-knuckle boxing match, provided the UFC allows it. Speaking about the fight in an interview with Covers.com, Chandler said:

“That would be the only fight I took. If the UFC was on board with it, the UFC gave us both permission, we both went and did it… Yeah, I would do it. My wife said you can’t fight in bare knuckle, but I am a fan of it. I watch it. I bought a couple of the pay-per-views. I was gonna go sit ringside at the show in Florida before the Conor fight got canceled. So I’m a fan of the brand, but definitely not gonna fight in it.” [H/t: Covers.com]