Michael Chandler shares first response to Conor McGregor’s fight announcement

Michael Chandler released his first statement after seeing Conor McGregor’s fight announcement video.

In November 2022, Chandler suffered a third-round submission loss against Dustin Poirier. Since then, the former Bellator lightweight champion has been connected to several rumors of a fight against McGregor, who has been inactive since a severe leg injury in July 2021.

Over the last few months, Dana White has continuously stated Chandler will be the opponent for McGregor’s highly anticipated octagon return. In the meantime, ‘The Notorious’ has played mind games with the community by claiming that he planned to fight someone else.

Earlier today, McGregor released a video on X claiming he will be fighting Chandler at 185 pounds on June 29 during International Fight Week. After watching the announcement, ‘Iron’ responded by saying:

“I always said I wanted you at your biggest, your baddest and your best. 185 would look good on me.”

McGregor’s interest in fighting Chandler at 185 pounds isn’t a shocking announcement. Earlier this year, 'The Ultimate Fighter' Season 31 aired with the pair as opposing coaches. During the introduction period, ‘The Notorious’ told ‘Iron’ that he wanted to fight at middleweight.

Watch Conor McGregor's announcement video below:

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Brett Okamoto was on the phone with Michael Chandler while watching Conor McGregor’s announcement

Michael Chandler committed his time and efforts to secure a massive payday by fighting Conor McGregor. As a result, he was allegedly getting worried as months passed before the Dublin native posted his announcement video.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto had this to say on X about Chandler’s immediate reaction to watching McGregor talk about their expected fight:

“Just got off the phone with Michael Chandler [@MikeChandlerMMA]. He watched Conor's announcement of their fight on June 29 with me on speaker. He laughed as it played and [regarding the 185-pound stipulation] said, 'Here we go. Any weight is good with me.'"

Chandler has faced various ups and downs throughout his UFC tenure. With that said, he will have a significant advantage against McGregor considering his shorter layoff.