Michael Chandler lost fights on purpose to secure Conor McGregor fight, claims Islam Makhachev

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has made bold claims regarding Michael Chandler and his octagon career.

Makhachev was in attendance for the recently concluded UFC 285 event that took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the event, the Dagestani fighter did a backstage interview with Caroline Pearce for BT Sport.

In the interview, Makhachev claimed that Chandler lost fights on purpose so that Conor McGregor would choose him as an opponent upon the latter's return to the octagon.

"Conor choose Chandler. Chandler lose on purpose because if he beat [a] couple fo guys, it's never gonna happen, you know, versus McGregor... He fight like crazy, like [he] comes from the street. That's why they make the fight," said Islam Makhachev.

When asked whether he was interested in fighting 'The Notorious,' Makhachev said that McGregor is not worthy of a title fight. But if the UFC proposes that matchup to him, he will entertain it.

You can watch the full Islam Makhachev interview below:

During his short tenure in the UFC, Michael Chandler has made a lot of waves and provided several exciting fights for MMA fans around the world. 'Iron' has had five UFC octagon appearances but has only won two of them. Despite that, Chandler is hailed by many as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC today.

Chandler is currently performing coaching duties against Conor McGregor on the latest season of 'The Ultimate Fighter'. Although no official date has been announced yet, the two fighters will lock horns inside the octagon after the culmination of the show.

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Islam Makhachev weighs in on potential future opponents

During his interview with Caroline Pearce, Islam Makhachev praised Beneil Dariush's fighting skills and said that a fight against him could prove to be exciting.

Makhachev added that if Charles Oliveira puts on an impressive performance in his next outing, the Dagestani could see him as a potential opponent as well.

"Honestly, Dariush is gonna be a good fight because this guy has good skills, striking skills, wrestling skills and grappling skills. That's why it's gona be a good fight. But Oliveira... if he show good performance, maybe he's gonna ne next."

Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira will collide at UFC 288 in May. The winner of the encounter could possibly be next in line to face Makhachev for lightweight gold.