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via Imago

via Imago

Michael Chandler is all but ready for his shot at a ‘Red Panty Night’ as he awaits a date for his fight against Conor McGregor. The two filmed season 31 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ earlier this year and the show has currently aired three episodes. Nevertheless, the fight between the coaches is yet to be made. As Conor McGregor seems to be caught up in issues outside the octagon along with the obscurity surrounding his USADA status, the wait is becoming frustrating for Chandler as it is for the fans.

Meanwhile, the former Bellator champion has received a fresh callout from a young and hungry contender. UFC Vegas 75 co-main event winner Arman Tsarukyan has called out ‘Iron’ Mike as his next opponent. Tsarukyan had a few bitter pills for the #5 ranked lightweight during his post-fight callout. 7-2 in his UFC career, the 26-year-old is dying to have a go at Chandler and sees him as his ticket to a top 5 spot in the rankings.

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Chandler is currently doing his fair share of the media obligations promoting the ongoing season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ As tradition goes, TUF coaches fight on a date soon after the show finishes airing. Fans will have to wait and see if that is the case for Chandler or if he will be one of the few exceptions. Meanwhile, he has another option other than McGregor, in the form of Arman Tsarukyan.

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Arman Tsarukyan calls out Michael Chandler

Arman Tsarukyan called out Michael Chandler in the octagon right after his fight against Joaquim Silva. Tsarukyan had been struggling to get an opponent. Hence, he took a fight against the unranked Brazilian to prove a point. Gambling his #8 ranking spot against a powerhouse like Silva, Tsarukyan proved he was ready to fight anyone regardless of the risk vs. reward factor.

Tsarukyan looked impressive except for a brief moment when Silva rocked him in the second round. He brushed it off and scored a dominant TKO win in the third round. During the backstage interview after his win, the Armenian laid out his plans for the future.

He said, “I have a couple [of] names. To be honest, I want to fight with [Michael] Chandler because he’s [a] big name and I know like Conor [McGregor] is not gonna fight. He’s over. That fight is going to be over and if Dariush can fight in October, I would like to fight with him.”

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As of right now, it is unclear if Conor McGregor will fight in 2023. There is no news of his USADA status yet. His window for enrollment to be eligible for competition in 2023 closed recently. Amidst this uncertainty, should Chandler wait for McGregor?

Read More“I’m Done. I Can’t Have That”- Conor McGregor’s Training Partner for the Floyd Mayweather Fight Expresses “Frustration” Over “Worst Time of My Life”

The 37-year-old has not fought since November of last year when he lost against Dustin Poirier. If McGregor does not fight this year, then will Chandler want to sit out this year as well?

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What are your thoughts on Tsarukyan’s callout? Let us know in the comments below.