UFC's Michael Chandler Says Conor McGregor Is 'Definitely the Fight That I Want'

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Fresh off an impressive win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 last month, Michael Chandler has his sights set on Conor McGregor.

In an interview with TMZ Sports (beginning at the 2:55 mark), Chandler discussed his desire to fight arguably the biggest star in UFC history:

"I would love the opportunity to compete against him," Chandler said. "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, you know, I'm not going to lose sleep at night. But it's definitely the fight that I want."

Since a lengthy run in Bellator MMA that saw him hold the promotion's lightweight title three times, Chandler has made a strong transition to UFC.

Chandler is 2-2 under the UFC umbrella, beating Dan Hooker and Ferguson and losing to Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje, although the Gaethje fight went the distance and was named Fight of the Night.

With a career record of 23-7 with 11 knockouts and seven submissions, Chandler is a dangerous fighter and would undoubtedly pose a stiff challenge to McGregor.

The 33-year-old McGregor has already established himself as a UFC legend, having held the featherweight and lightweight titles, but success has eluded him in recent years.

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After starting his career 19-2, McGregor has lost four of his past seven fights, three of his past four and two in a row.

McGregor fell to Dustin Poirier at both UFC 257 and 264, and the UFC 264 loss saw him suffer a broken leg that has kept him on the shelf for the past 11 months.

UFC president Dana White said this week that he is hopeful McGregor will return in late 2022 or early 2023 and a fight with Chandler is possible, as White said he "really likes" the idea of McGregor vs. Chandler.

If Chandler were to beat McGregor, he would likely find himself right back in the UFC lightweight title hunt.