Michael Chandler happy to give Conor McGregor ‘illusion of dominance’ ahead of UFC clash

The pair will serve as opposing coaches on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter, before fighting one another

Alex Pattle
Combat Sports Correspondent
Friday 24 February 2023 11:20 GMT
Comments
UFC: Conor McGregor's comeback fight announced by Dana White

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Michael Chandler has said he is content with giving Conor McGregor ‘the illusion of dominance’ ahead of their UFC fight later this year.

Chandler and McGregor are currently filming the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television show on which they are coaching opposing teams of contestants. The pair will then fight one another at an as-yet-unknown date.

Reflecting on the first week of filming, Chandler tweeted on Friday (24 February): “#tuf31 is so much more work than I anticipated. Emotional rollercoaster. I am so much more invested in every one of these athlete’s futures than I ever could have planned for.

“At the end of week one, I admit I haven’t made perfect choices every step of the way, but one thing is certain… they know I am in their corner and I would move heaven & earth to put them in the best position possible to be the best version of themselves on fight night.

“I love my team. They feel it. I feel it. We are working diligently to put gameplans in place and accruing skills to get their hands raised on fight night. #teamchandler is looking and FEELING strong, I am proud of what we are building.”

The 36-year-old American then shared a photo of himself and McGregor, 34, on the set of The Ultimate Fighter, along with the caption: “Go ahead, you walk out the octagon first, the illusion of dominance is right where I want you to be.”

On Thursday, McGregor spoke to The Mac Life on the set of the show and said: “I like Michael, I had a good little buzz with him yesterday. I have no issues with him at all. I think he’s a good fighter.”

The Irishman, who also called Chandler “a nice guy”, added: “I think I’m just gonna slice through him. I think I’m a little too slicey for him than anyone else he’s fought – a little too snappy and whippy. I think I’ll slice through him.”

Earlier this week, McGregor denied a claim that he had replaced contestants on his team with his ‘own guys’.

Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in