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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The long wait for Michael Chandler to compete is likely coming to an end when he meets Conor McGregor in a showdown more than a year in the making.

When Chandler signed on to coach opposite McGregor on The Ultimate Fighter 31, he and just about everyone else in the world assumed their fight would take place a few months later. That didn’t happen, but there was still hope the fight could take place before the end of 2023.

That time came and went, as well, as McGregor delayed his return to the UFC’s anti-doping program, which required six months of testing before an athlete in his situation can compete again. Then, the UFC severed its relationship with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Unless there’s another hiccup, McGregor should be cleared to fight by UFC 300 in April. It’s unclear, however, whether his announcement of a fight with Chandler on June 29 during International Fight Week will come to fruition; the UFC has not confirmed his return and the bout with Chandler.

Regardless, by the time they meet in the octagon, Chandler will have sacrificed at least 19 months of his career waiting for McGregor. He admits there were times when he neared his breaking point.

“I’m not going to lie to you and say there weren’t moments of frustration,” Chandler told MMA Fighting. “Moments of, ‘Screw it, fight somebody else!’ That’s what everybody was saying I should do for months now.

“But I signed my name to this contract, made this commitment. I want to fight Conor. He wants to fight me. It’s just not on everybody’s timeline.”

As difficult as it was dealing with the constant delays and rumors about when McGregor may be ready to compete again, Chandler started to look at all sides of his situation. He was definitely upset that the fight took over a year to make official, but he also took advantage of the time off as best as he could.

Best known for all-action bouts that have earned him bonuses in four of his five UFC appearances — including a 2021 Fight of the Year with Justin Gaethje — Chandler puts a lot of wear and tear on his body every time he performs. Because he’s been so active since signing with the UFC, he has rarely been afforded many breaks in his schedule.

That’s where he’s able to look at the McGregor ordeal with a bit of a silver lining around what appeared to be a rather dark cloud.

“For every moment of frustration, there was a moment of realization,” Chandler explained. “Having a year off now, letting my body heal, not taking damage. Spending time with my family, enjoying the holidays. I’ve missed so many holidays, so many birthday parties, so many things and big events. Being able to pick up my son from school and drop him off, and going to sporting events and all these different things, plus still get my fix of training and becoming a better fighter and athlete, but also taking stock in being a better father and a better husband. Being there, being around. I’ll look back on this year as being the best year of my life thus far.”

At 37, Chandler has often said he’s not in the UFC for a long time, but for a good time. Still, nearly two years off probably cost him at least two or three fights.

That being said, Chandler knows it will all pay off in the end, and he hasn’t just been sitting around doing nothing while waiting on McGregor. He’s still been training and preparing, but now he’s finally got a date to focus all his energy.

“I’m not an idle hands kind of guy,” Chandler said. “You put me on ice for a year, I’m not going to just be sitting on my hands. So we’ve continued to work on my body, my mind and my soul, and my spirit as an athlete.

“Yeah, we didn’t win any fights, we didn’t get our hand raised. Heck, we didn’t even make any fight paychecks. But I’ve been blessed with great people around me and a great passion for life. This last year has exacerbated that. This hiatus has been well needed, truthfully. It’s just going to set me up for a huge, huge stage in 2024.”

MMA Fighting – All Posts

UFC

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

The Mixed Martial Arts Hour is back in your life! Below is a rundown of Monday’s show, which begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. UK time.

1 p.m. ET: Recapping the weekend of combat sports.

1:05 p.m.: UFC middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis returns to talk about his UFC 297 title win and more.

1:35 p.m.: California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster talks about potential rule changes coming to MMA and more.

2:00 p.m.: Former UFC champ Holly Holm previews her UFC 300 fight with Kayla Harrison.

2:30 p.m.: UFC APEX 85 headliner Renato Moicano previews his fight with Drew Dober.

3 p.m.: Former WWE star and entrepreneur Diamond Dallas Page reacts to the latest news in pro wrestling.

3:40 p.m.: Former UFC bantmaweight champ Aljamain Sterling previews his UFC 300 featherweight debut against Calvin Kattar.

4:10 p.m.: Recapping the Royal Rumble and more.

For the latest episodes of The MMA Hour, subscribe on Spotify or iTunes.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Amidst growing speculation on whether McGregor vs. Chandler even happens, ‘Iron’ Mike is throwing some heat at ‘The Notorious’ over social media.

We’re still waiting on the UFC to announce the main event for their historic 300th pay-per-view event on April 13th. Oddswise, it seems like Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya is the most likely match-up. But if UFC brass can’t seal that deal, will they break the emergency glass and make Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler happen?

Both McGregor and Chandler have repeatedly campaigned to fight at UFC 300. Unfortunately, bean-counters within the promotion would rather have two guaranteed million-plus pay-per-view events than one. Those same bean-counters may be starting to think Michael Chandler isn’t the most financially prudent choice for Conor’s return.

At UFC 297, UFC CEO Dana White sounded not so certain that “Iron Mike” would be McGregor’s opponent in the end. That’s a bit silly considering an entire season of The Ultimate Fighter was filmed to build up the rivalry. Now Chandler is coming out firing shots at Mac on X (formerly Twitter).

“What it looks like when you stand in front of a man that is steadfast and immovable,” he wrote above a video clip from TUF where the two faced off. “Watch the happy-go-lucky nervous tension in him. Who backs out of the pocket first? Are we friends Conor?”

“I haven’t seen clips from TUF31 in a while, I’ve been busy. But I remember,” he continued. “I did a lot of studying in the 5 weeks in Vegas. Sub-par at best.”

In his last tweet, Chandler referenced the endless delays getting the fight put together.

“I get it. He’s coming off an injury,” he wrote. “So that said, now that McGregor is healthy… the question is, why wouldn’t it be UFC 300? It’s been 2.5 years… Get off the yacht kid…”

We’re not holding our breath for Mac vs. Mike on UFC 300. We are hoping the fight ends up happening in the first half of 2024. Even that isn’t for certain as the UFC continues to waffle on McGregor’s return, even as their biggest star is ramping up the pressure and demanding a date.

MMAmania.com – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

It’s an interesting time atop the UFC middleweight division.

The 185-pound title has become somewhat of a hot potato after a recent rotation of champions. Over the past two years, longtime title holder Israel Adesanya lost the belt to Alex Pereira, won it back then dropped it again, the second time to Sean Strickland. The new titlist Strickland wasn’t able to hang on to it either, however, as he lost a split decision to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 two weekends ago. Now, it’s a matter of where the division goes next.

Du Plessis is open to returning relatively quickly for his first title defense, targeting the historic UFC 300 date on April 13. Should that happen, it seems the top two options to fight are the aforementioned Adesanya and the undefeated 13-0 superstar, Khamzat Chimaev. Also fighting that fight will be the rising prospect Bo Nickal who’s lined up to fight Cody Brundage. From his seat, Nickal is as uncertain about the title scene as the rest of us.

“They’d been talking about giving Khamzat [Chimaev] the title [fight], but Khamzat’s been hurt, he’s been sick, he’s messed up in the hospital, broke his hand, all this crazy stuff,” Nickal said on his YouTube channel. “So, I don’t know. Other guys that are coming up at ‘85 … there’s really not that many guys. I don’t even know who’s really getting up there that could fight for the belt at ‘85.

“There’s good guys but not very many win streaks. Not very many guys that are putting themselves in that position. I would guess that they do Adesanya.”

Neither Adesanya nor Chimaev have the strongest case to challenge next as Adesanya hasn’t fought since the Strickland loss while Chimaev has only recently returned to 185 pounds. That appearance came opposite former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, which Chimaev won via majority decision at UFC 294 this past October.

Chimaev, 29, expressed some frustration with his situation last week, saying he was promised a title fight would be his next. “Borz” went as far as to call it “bulls***” if he does indeed get passed over

Chimaev has rarely been on the receiving end of callouts since his UFC arrival in 2020 … unless your name is Nickal. A Chimaev vs. Nickal matchup would be an absolute wrestler’s delight if it comes to fruition in the future. Both men have been as dominant as they could hope for thus far at each point of their careers. The 5-0 (2-0 in UFC) Penn State alum still hopes for it one day, and couldn’t help but laugh when comparing each other at this current juncture.

“Dude, they’re gonna give Khamzat the title shot for sure at some point,” Nickal said. “I don’t think he’s gonna have to fight again until he gets a title shot. Do I think he deserves that? No. He hasn’t fought a single ‘85er. He’s fought less ‘85ers than me. My opponents aren’t even on the roster anymore (laughs).

“Brendan Allen’s won a few in a row but he’s not deserving of a title shot. [Paulo] Costa and [Robert] Whittaker [are fighting]. I don’t think either of those guys gets a title shot with this win. Whittaker just lost to Du Plessis and Costa beat Luke Rockhold in his last fight, but he hasn’t fought in like two years. If Khamzat would have beat Costa then it’s like, okay, easy. No problem. He beat Usman who’s 170 and had five days to get ready. So, I don’t know that he deserves a title shot. It would be a good fight, I’d like to see it, but I don’t know.”

TOP STORIES

Maybe. Conor McGregor teases UFC 300 fight, Michael Chandler responds

Mess. ONE 165 results: Shinya Aoki taps late-notice replacement John Lineker in openweight fight

Upset. Neil Magny knew UFC wanted Mike Malott to win: ‘It was very evident what the game plan was’

Wishful. Ryan Bader, Renan Ferreira expect winner of their fight to welcome Francis Ngannou to PFL

Follow-Up. Jon Anik issues apology for MMA fan criticism: ‘I was in a heightened emotional state’

Roundtable. How do you rate the UFC 300 lineup so far?

Character? Dricus du Plessis claims Sean Strickland admitted defeat at UFC 297: ‘You definitely beat me’

Repercussions. Jasmine Jasudavicius didn’t enjoy making Priscila Cachoeira bleed, but punished her for missing weight

Matchup. Anthony Joshua calls Francis Ngannou boxing match ‘my undisputed title fight’

Transition. Miesha Tate cautions Kayla Harrison on bantamweight move: ‘135 is going to really suck the life out of her’

Forgotten. Leah McCourt ‘frustrated’ at being ignored for Cris Cyborg fight

VIDEO STEW

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin chats with Max Holloway.

UFC Vegas 85 Promo.

Free fights.

Best of 2023.

Volk’s camp.

Conditioning with Wonderboy.

MORNING MUSIC

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Fight week.

Might as well be.

Tease.

Epic.

Wholesome.

Smart.

Festivities.

Eagle vs. Duck.

Setback.

They grow up so fast.

Water kicks.

Fujino just might fight forever.

Borz.

Gotta start somewhere.

That is Faber-level gnarly.

I still don’t know.

Sights.

Chandler.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Jessica Andrade (25-12) vs. Marina Rodriguez (17-3-2); UFC 300, April 13

FINAL THOUGHTS

Well, Bo ain’t wrong. It’s also funny because I think Costa beating Whittaker would certainly be justifiable for the shot. At the same time, Jared Cannonier is just floating around out there.

Thanks for reading!

POLL POSITION

Last Week’s Results:

Friday: 60% of 559 total votes answered “Justin Gaethje” when asked, “Who has the best chance of facing Islam Makhachev with a win at UFC 300?”

Thursday: 61% of 366 total votes answered “Kayla Harrison” when asked, “Which Cris Cyborg matchup was/is more interesting to you?”

Wednesday: 43% of 445 total votes answered “Depends on the outcome of the Justin Gaethje fight” when asked, “Which division should Max Holloway fight in after UFC 300?”

Tuesday: 63% of 599 total votes answered “Tom Aspinall” when asked, “If Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall was booked to happen next for each, who would win?”

Monday: 63% of 517 total votes answered “Yes” when asked, “Do you have any interest in an eventual Sean Strickland vs. Ian Machado Garry matchup?”

Today’s exit poll:

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Unbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev has been branded a “crybaby” by former UFC lightweight contender, Josh Thomson, after the Chechen launched a verbal tirade on CEO, Dana White – claiming the leader broke his promise on a guaranteed title fight for him next.

Chimaev, the current number one ranked middleweight contender, most recently co-headlined UFC 294 back in October, landing a close, controversial split decision win over former undisputed welterweight titleholder and pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman.

And claiming UFC boss, White broke his promise of granting him a shot at divisional gold next, Chimaev unleashed a verbal tirade aimed at the long-time boss.

“All these guys fight me, but I’m not the only one undefeated and undisputed,” Khamzat Chimaev said. “13-0, so I don’t know. They [the UFC] promised me after [the] (Kamaru) Usman fight, ‘You will for sure going to fight for the title’, and I win that fight. I don’t know what’s going on. I heard Dana White say stuff like, ‘I don’t think Khamzat is next for the title.’ That’s bullsh*t, man.” 

“If you promised me something, you have to answer for your words,” Khamzat Chimaev explained. “I’m the guy who always answers for my words so I don’t care if it’s some president or something, like a king. If you give me your word, you have to answer for that. So, I grow up, when I give word, you have to answer for it… We’re doing that. I will be happy to answer for my word about killing them, man. So, we’ll see – maybe in the USA, it’s a different mentally.”

Khamzat Chimaev ripped by Josh Thomson

However, as far as the above-mentioned former contender, Thomson is concerned, Chimaev is sounding nothing more than just a “crybaby” with his outburst aimed at White.

“Right now, after listening to his (Khamzat Chimaev) interviews and all this, he sounds like a crybaby,” Josh Thomson said on The Weighin’ In Podcast. “I was promised this, I was promised that. Since when does Dana (White) give a sh*t what he’s promised? We’ve seen before, he’s promised fighters a lot. Look, you didn’t have a great performance against Kamaru Usman. Not a good look.” (H/T MMA News)

Who does Khamzat Chimaev fight in his Octagon comeback?

LowKickMMA.com

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts