The fight game often teaches its participants hard lessons about patience and opportunity. Michael Chandler’s recent revelation about his prolonged wait for Conor McGregor shows remarkable maturity. The lightweight contender’s journey from TUF coach to inactive fighter serves as a cautionary tale. And he believes that he has no one to blame but himself for this.
Talking to Ariel Helwani, Chandler gave a refreshing take on the whole ordeal. Rather than pointing fingers or playing the blame game, he has turned the mirror on himself. The former Bellator champion acknowledged that every decision, every month spent waiting, was ultimately his choice.
“It’s on me. I am in control of my own career. They didn’t tell me to wait. They said, ‘This is when it is going to happen, do you want to wait? Do you not want to wait?’ I’ll wait, so this is on Michael Chandler. And yes, there were a lot of outside circumstances, but this rests solely on my shoulders.”
Chandler’s story began with what seemed like a golden ticket as he coached against McGregor on The Ultimate Fighter. The show wrapped up in August 2023, and everyone expected fireworks to follow. Instead, what followed was waiting, and then there was more waiting. Chandler sat on the sidelines, watching prime fighting years tick away while McGregor’s return date kept shifting like desert sand.
Michael Chandler now finds himself preparing for Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, a fight that should have happened months ago. This rematch holds great significance for both fighters as they are coming off losses. A win could propel either of them into the talks for title contention.
Michael Chandler Reveals His Plans After UFC 309
Chandler recently unveiled his post-fighting aspirations with refreshing clarity. The former Bellator champion’s career trajectory has been a roller coaster ride. His immediate future appears packed with ambitious plans that have raised eyebrows across the MMA community.
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Michael Chandler envisioned a whirlwind tour through the lightweight division’s elite, naming McGregor, Makhachev, and Holloway as potential dance partners. He revealed to Shak MMA that he plans to have a great run after UFC 309, culminating in him becoming the oldest lightweight champion.
“I’m sitting cage side watching Islam [Makhachev] and Arman [Tsarukyan] (the current lightweight champion and No.1 contender), the first month or so of 2025…If Conor [McGregor] is able to come back, I can fight Conor in March. Then I can fight Islam in June or July, beat him…By that time, Max Holloway becomes the number one contender. Chandler versus Max Holloway at the end of 2025. I put my UFC lightweight belt on the line, he puts his BMF belt on the line.”
Yet beneath the grand plans for fighting lies a more grounded approach to his eventual retirement. At 38, Michael Chandler acknowledges the sunset of his fighting career with remarkable self-awareness. For now, though, ‘Iron’ remains focused on the immediate challenge of Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.
