At 185 pounds, Michael Chandler believes that he will have the advantage over Conor McGregor because of the fact that he is naturally far larger than McGregor.
On the first day of the new year, Conor McGregor made the shocking announcement that he would be making his long-awaited comeback to the octagon on June 29, at the International Fight Week show scheduled by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. After announcing that Chandler would be his opponent, “Notorious” then disclosed the most unexpected piece of information, which was that the battle would take place at the middleweight division.
During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, “Iron” elaborated on the topic, despite the fact that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has not yet announced any information regarding their possible fight. Chandler argues that McGregor is going to have a difficult time on account of the fact that he will not be competing against someone who is naturally lighter in weight than him. It was him who said:
“I believe that I am inherently larger than he could be. It is important to keep in mind that he is a natural 145-pounder who began his career by cherry-picking 135-pound shots. I have been carrying this weight for the past fifteen years, and I have fought with it at a lightweight level.
Chandler went on to say “
When it comes to 185, The Ultimate Fighter, this was a question that was asked before the ‘You’ll do what you’re told’ stuff. Conor is now significantly larger and has acquired weight. We have not yet obtained any information regarding how he will fare with that additional muscular mass and size. I do not believe that he will be able to move as well as the Conor of the past. Although he weighs 170 or 185 pounds, he will not be able to have the same response time, footwork, or be as light on his feet as he was before. It is to my advantage, so whenever they decide to do it, I will be prepared to do it.
Jon Anik explains why Conor McGregor wants to fight Michael Chandler at middleweight
The ‘announcement’ made by Conor McGregor that he will be fighting Michael Chandler in June looks to have caused a rift within the mixed martial arts world. Others believe that the 185-pound revelation implied that the video was nothing more than a hoax, despite the fact that some fans were eagerly awaiting an announcement from the 35-year-old fighter regarding a fight.
UFC commentator Jon Anik recently weighed in on the matter, and he provided an explanation as to why he believes there may be a reason for the fight to take place at the middleweight division. During an interview with MMA Junkie, Anik indicated that it is highly possible that McGregor’s leg issue has influenced his choice over whether or not to reduce his weight. It was him who said:
“With all due respect to my good friend Conor McGregor, the sole defense for the bout that is taking place at middleweight is his leg. In the event that [the UFC] does not want him and he does not wish to reduce his weight, he will make every effort to ensure that his leg is as strong as it can possibly be in order to ensure that he is able to succeed in the fight. When it is weighed at [185 pounds], it is irrelevant to the division.
