As all MMA fans know, Conor McGregor has pulled out of UFC 303 due to an injury. While the announcement of his withdrawal was disappointing news, it didn’t come as a surprise to many, as there were signs all was not well in the weeks leading up to the fateful announcement.

The whole canceled press conference fiasco on June 3 of course, was the clearest sign of it. However, another sign that keen-eyed his partying till the wee hours of the morning weeks from his (erstwhile) June 29 clash with Michael Chandler. And former UFC star and podcaster Brendan Schaub, in a podcast, thinks the partying was just McGregor playing 5D chess with his ‘The Ultimate Fighter 31’ rival head coach.

Schaub allays fears around Conor McGregor partying clip

Conor McGregor was seen partying late into the night in his ‘Black Forge Inn’ in Dublin last month, which raised concerns among fans that the Irishman was not as committed and dedicated to training for UFC 303 as he should be, which has raised fears that the bout may be in jeopardy.

Brendan Schaub, on the other hand, was of a different opinion. On an episode of Quentin ‘Rampage’ Jackson‘s ‘Jaxxon Podcast’ recorded before ‘Mac’ pulled out, but published today, ‘Bapa’ felt the partying clip was a deliberate ploy to toy with Chandler. The former UFC heavyweight was of the opinion that “partying is all mental warfare. Like Conor’s one of the best to ever do that.” 

Schaub felt that the ‘Mac’ had put the clip out to engender doubts and second thoughts in Chandler, hoping to affect the latter’s preparations. To be fair, a similar strategy was recently used by boxing superstar Ryan Garcia prior to his blockbuster April 20 boxing match with Devin Haney, which ‘King Ry’ went on to win spectacularly, in part because he had blindsided Haney.

Further, the comedian pointed out that ‘Mac’ had immense amounts of money (McGregor is the wealthiest MMA fighter in history), which means that if he chooses to fight, it isn’t because of the money but simply for the love of the game. In addition, Schaub felt that since McGregor had a history of showing up to fight even when injured (as the Irishman did against Chad Mendes in 2015), he was sure ‘Mac’ would fight Chandler at UFC 303. Again, it is important to remember that this podcast was recorded before the news of McGregor’s pullout was made official.

“I think Conor at the end of the day, even though he has all this money, and has business, [he] doesn’t need to fight. When he agrees to fight, he’s always shown up, even he was hurt for the Mendes fight, you know. He’s down for whatever, man,” ‘Bapa’ said.

McGregor, indeed has a stellar record, having never pulled out of a fight before UFC 303. And given this track record, it does seem like the Irishman must have been in no position at all to fight on June 29. This has left Chandler adrift at sea yet again, but the former Bellator champion has taken the cancellation admirably.

Michael Chandler’s handed the biggest loss after UFC 303 bout cancellation

The clock on Michael Chandelr’s UFC career is ticking rapidly. Already 38, the lightweight is coming up against the only undefeated, undisputed fighter in the history of the world with a 100% success rate: Father Time. And ‘Iron’ has virtually put his UFC career on hold for the past two years, first to appear opposite ‘Mac’ as head coach on last year’s season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, and since then waiting to fight McGregor, which was originally slated for late last year.

And with the cancellation of the McGregor fight, the #6 ranked 155-pounder has been left in limbo. While it seems ‘Mac’ would fight Chandler after he recovers from injury, that isn’t yet certain, as many things could happen between now and when McGregor is healthy. Including ‘Notorious’ retiring, the UFC changing its mind about Chandler facing the Irishman, or ‘Iron’ himself getting injured.

Despite the punch in the gut that the cancellation must have been for Chandler, the Missouri native was remarkably magnanimous to McGregor, wishing him well and hoping he recovers soon so they can finally fight. In a tweet following the bout being called off, Chandler tweeted: “No hard feelings. Heal up. My heart is full. See you soon.” What are your thoughts about Chandler continuing to wait for McGregor?