Michael Chandler explains why he deserves a shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of Conor McGregor

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler claims to be more deserving than Conor McGregor to face Khabib Nurmagomedov. According to Chandler, a win over Dan Hooker at UFC 257 should help him leapfrog the top 5 lightweights in the division and fight for the title.

Michael Chandler believes Khabib Nurmagomedov to be the greatest lightweight on the planet. In an interview with BT Sport, Chandler expressed his wish to fight the current champ.

The former Bellator lightweight champion believes that a fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and a 'fresh face' is much more exciting than a rematch with Conor McGregor.

"He has got all the money, fame, and accolades. So to come back and fight in a rematch seems like kind of a lukewarm ending to the story, even though Conor is the biggest superstar... I think I would be that fresh face, I would be that fresh challenge," explained Chandler.

"You look at my body of work - I got a lot of knockouts, I got a lot of submissions, I've used my wrestling. Can I be the guy that stops Khabib's wrestling? I think that is a legitimate question. We will find that out inside the cage," added Chandler.

Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) wants a title shot with a victory over Dan Hooker (@danthehangman) but is open to another fight before a title shot if needed.Will the former Bellator champion be in title contention with a win at UFC 257?#MMATwitter #UFC #MMA #FPMMA pic.twitter.com/WZ1CDv2gqA

— Front Page MMA (@FrontPageMMA) January 13, 2021

Why does Michael Chandler think he is a better opponent for Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Michael Chandler is in awe of all Khabib Nurmagomedov's accomplishments in his decorated career. However, Chandler believes that he presents a greater challenge to the 'The Eagle' than Conor McGregor.

Both Michael Chandler and Khabib Nurmagomedov are stylistically quite similar. They both have swift takedowns and inflict damage on their opponents from a dominant position on the ground.

Chandler has been able to defeat his opponents with this wrestling-based style by taking his opponents down and following up with an onslaught of strikes. The former Bellator lightweight champion believes that contrary to common perception, wrestling is not a boring facet of MMA.

"I think wrestlers are the exact opposite of boring... You should be imposing your will on somebody, picking them up, putting them down, holding them down. Either hitting them or trying to work to a dominant position to get a submission. Khabib and I have always done that," said Chandler.

Dana White revealed that Khabib Nurmagomedov's decision to make a comeback and defend the lightweight title depends on how things play out at UFC 257. Michael Chandler will be looking to put on a spectacular performance at UFC 257 and get a fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov by the end of 2021.