"You weren't one of the guys who was necessarily on the radar" - Michael Chandler explains why he was initially uninterested in fighting Dustin Poirier 

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has explained why he was focused on fights such as Conor McGregor and not Dustin Poirer.

'Iron' is the No.5-ranked lightweight and has become a major fan-favorite since making his UFC debut at the beginning of last year. Chandler's (2-2) four octagon appearances so far have been highly entertaining bouts. He was even honored with Fight of the Year 2021 for his epic three-round contest with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268.

Michael Chandler's last walk to the octagon was at UFC 274 earlier this year when he stopped Tony Ferguson with a devastating front-kick KO. Not only did the 36-year-old deliver a stunning finish, he also took the microphone from Joe Rogan and cut one of the best octagon promos when he called out Conor McGregor.

Chandler recently appeared on the DC & RC Show alongside his upcoming opponent Dustin Poirier. The pair are set to face off at UFC 281 and 'Iron' explained why 'Diamond' wasn't initially on his radar:

"Interviews and life is all about timing. At the time of my Ariel Helwani interview, Dustin, you were talking about not wanting to do it anymore, fighting at 170lbs, you were talking about fighting Nate Diaz... I do think in that moment when I was thinking about the lightweight division, you weren't necessarily one of the guys on the radar. What am I gonna do? Add insult to injury to a guy who's maybe never fighting again?"

Catch the full DC & RC episode here:

---

Michael Chandler reveals he'd rather fight for the UFC title than face Conor McGregor

UFC contender and former Bellator champion Michael Chandler recently appeared on Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour to discuss his upcoming bout with Dustin Poirier and his desire to fight Conor McGregor.

During the show, Helwani asked 'Iron' if he would rather take the fight against 'Notorious', which would be his biggest payday, or fight for the UFC lightweight title once again?

The 36-year-old gave a very honest answer and admitted it would be a tough choice:

"That's a hard question, but honestly, I'd fight for the title and win the title... Obviously, I was a multiple-time Bellator champion, but I was never the number one guy in the world. I go out there and win the UFC title, I'm the number one guy in the world. I can rest my head on my pillow for the rest of my life knowing I was a champion."

Chandler lost out on his first UFC title when he fought Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155lbs throne last year. The American started the fight extremely well and even knocked the Brazilian down before 'do Bronx' mounted a comeback in the second round and KO'd him.

Catch the full episode of The MMA Hour with Michael Chandler here: