The former Bellator king put his career on hold to face Conor McGregor, and it almost happened in 2024 before that pesky broken toe derailed the fight at the last second. Rather that sit on the sidelines even longer, Chandler returned to action … and the results have been grim. Since taking two years off in pursuit of the Mac, Chandler has been utterly dominated by Charles Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, and Mauricio Ruffy (watch Ruffy style on Chandler at the White House here).
It’s starting to get a little sad, but “Iron” Mike is resilient. The 40-year-old veteran is refusing to retire despite his four-fight losing streak, and perhaps his determination will be rewarded. After McGregor’s latest disastrous injury at UFC 329, Chandler is suddenly in prime position to face McGregor in his next — and likely final — UFC bout.
Per BetOnline.Ag, Chandler is now the most likely next opponent for “The Notorious,” followed by a Max Holloway trilogy bout. Here’s where the betting lines currently stand:
Michael Chandler +200
Max Holloway +300
Nate Diaz +500
Jorge Masvidal +700
Justin Gaethje +800
Dustin Poirier +1000
Paddy Pimblett +1100
Khabib Nurmagomedov +2000
Of course, there’s always the risk that McGregor never actually comes back, even if he recently seemed open to fighting Chandler. Then again, at this stage of his career, is there really any severe risk to Chandler sitting on the sidelines for another 18 months?
