Michael Chandler Wants to Fight Tony Ferguson on McGregor-Poirier UFC Card

Michael Chandler is hoping to make his UFC debut in January against Tony Ferguson but isn't interested in facing him this December at UFC 256.  

"There is a 0 percent chance I'll fight Tony Ferguson in December," he told ESPN's Brett Okamoto. "And I 100 percent know he knew that because the UFC already told him that, and I've already said I'll see him in January. Now that we have Conor [McGregor] fighting Dustin [Poirier]—it looks like that fight will get booked on Jan. 23—they need a co-main event. Why wouldn't it be Chandler vs. Ferguson?"

Ferguson had asked UFC president Dana White to book a fight with Chandler on Dec. 12 on one social media post and said in another, "Michael Chandler you Putz, Ya Asked For It."

So Chandler responded with his assertion that he had no plans to fight Ferguson in December:

"The UFC didn't offer me the fight in December, because they know I'm on a timeline now. I just made weight in October. Everybody knows I'm an active fighter and I'm constantly training, but I needed just four weeks off. Essentially, Tony is campaigning for us to fight in 3.5 weeks.

"Tony, you had the opportunity to fight me in October and you said no. You didn't even bring up fighting in December until it was way past the 11th hour. Let's be realistic and sign up for Jan. 23. If you think you still have what it takes to fight for a title, fight me on Jan. 23. Why not take that opportunity, instead of muddying the water with this silly stuff?"

If it feels like the normal back-and-forth public sparring that goes on between fighters as they try to schedule and simultaneously hype a potential fight, that's likely what it is. 

Chandler, 34, is 21-5 in his professional career with 23 of those fights coming in Bellator. He is a former lightweight Bellator champion, though his potential fight with Ferguson would represent his debut in the Octagon. 

Whenever it actually happens.