Michael Chandler has, in very short order, been spoken about by two former UFC lightweight champions, one of whom is Rafael dos Anjos. The Brazilian mocked 'Iron's' continued link to a Conor McGregor bout, claiming that there is no hoop the ex-Bellator lightweight champion is unwilling to jump through.
A recent Instagram post by the MMA Junkie chronicling a pair of McGregor tweets have made the rounds. The tweets feature the Irishman claiming that the payday Chandler will gain for fighting him would net him 10 times the per fight earnings of his current contract.
In short, Chandler would have to fight 10 times to earn what he would from his expected matchup with 'The Notorious.' McGregor's tweets were framed with the intention of silencing any criticism over Chandler's decision to wait for him.
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This brought out Dos Anjos, who left a comment on the MMA Junkie Instagram post, describing Chandler as someone who would do anything McGregor demands of him.
"At this point Chandler would do anything Conor wants. I mean anything"
While Chandler could have certainly fought in the last two years, and he likely should have, it may very well be that he will continue waiting for McGregor, regardless of how much time he spends on the sidelines. 'RDA,' meanwhile, has been on a social media warpath when it comes to the Irishman.
He has taken every opportunity to disparage his old rival, perhaps setting up a potential clash if the UFC decides to go with him instead of Chandler.
The injury behind the cancellation of Michael Chandler's bout with Conor McGregor has been disclosed
It appears that the injury that forced Conor McGregor to withdraw from his UFC 303 welterweight fight with Michael Chandler was a fractured toe. However, it wasn't his big toe. Instead, it was the Irishman's pinky toe, which left the MMA world in shock, given the comparatively minor nature of the injury.
While uncomfortable, a broken pinky toe is quick to heal, needing only a matter of weeks if one tapes it. By fight night, it likely would have been little more than a dull ache, nullified even further by the surge of adrenaline McGregor would have felt. Furthermore, the pinky toe is unimportant for balance, walking, and movement.
This left many in the MMA world in disbelief, with others, like reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev mocking 'The Notorious,' as many fighters, including new UFC 303 headliner Alex Pereira, have fought with broken toes.