Back in July, Michael Chandler released a major update on his fight plans after the Conor McGregor fight was canceled just days before the UFC 303 pay-per-view. He claimed that a shot at the 155-pound title awaited him if he turned down the fight against the Irishman. Nevertheless, he opted to wait for the McGregor clash as it was near the horizon. Nevertheless, a few months down the line, he is booked to face Charles Oliveira instead.

But what’s next if he wins the fight against Oliveria? Will he finally face McGregor? Well, it seems like Chandler wants another dream match to happen, and he wants it to happen soon. So much so that he recently revealed in an interview that he would happily snub the McGregor fight to get his hands on Islam Makhachev and his title.

In a recent interview with TNTSports, Chandler was asked if he would like to face the Notorious or the Russian after his fight with Oliveira. That’s when the three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion revealed that he would face Makhachev since that’s the way it was supposed to be. According to Chandler, the Dagestani fighter is a better stylistic matchup for him with his wrestling prowess.

He said, “It’s gonna be Islam. Because this is the way it was supposed to be. It’s gonna be Islam. And I believe I beat… I think I beat Charles at Madison Square Garden, and then good old-fashioned, hard-working, division one Missouri American wrestling beats Dagestani sambo everyday of the week. I believe I match up well against Islam; I have a ton of respect for him; he is our champion; he is my champion at 155. Ton of respect for him.” He further added that while he did not get his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov, which remained one of the biggest what-ifs of his career, he does not want a repeat of the same with Makhachev.

But what about Makhachev? Does he want to fight the American star? Well, it seems like the answer is a big, fat no. But why? Is he scared that he would get dethroned, or is there more to it than meets the eye? Well, the answer to this question can be summed up in just two words: Conor McGregor. Makhachev believes the return of the Irishman could change up the equation for the former Bellator star.

How McGregor’s return changes things for Chandler?

According to Islam Makhachev, as he previously stated, he isn’t sure if Chandler will keep his word. Given that, he’s waited for McGregor for nearly two years. the lightweight champion fears that if he plans to fight Michael Chandler, things could go awry for one specific reason: if Conor McGregor decides to return, ‘Iron’ could get back on the bandwagon of the lucrative matchup. Therefore, the lightweight champion demands that genuine contenders approach him.

In a tweet, the lightweight champion wrote, “You are unreliable dude, one tweet from your master, and you’ll run away. Champ needs a real opponent.” By master here, Makhachev is referring to Conor McGregor. Chandler has been chasing him for a fight for a long time now. Even McGregor has shown his interest in fighting Chandler when he returns. But what do you think? Who should the lightweight star get to fight after his bout with Oliveria? Let us know in the comments.