Michael Chandler Told to Idolize Khabib Nurmagomedov as Conor McGregor Selects 185 lbs Weight Class for UFC Return on June 29—“He Wouldn’t…”

As promised, Conor McGregor finally announced his next fight. He posted a video on his social media, claiming that he would be fighting Michael Chandler on June 29 in middleweight class. A section of fans and insiders are taking the announcement with a pinch of salt as there has not been any official confirmation from the UFC yet and McGregor is notoriously unreliable at times. However, UFC commentator Daniel Cormier isn’t one of them.

Cormier, who had earlier claimed that the Irishman might be trying to avoid Chandler, reacted to this announcement and gave some useful advice to Michael Chandler to counter Mystic Mac’s mind games.

Cormier thinks Conor McGregor is trying to make Michael Chandler uncomfortable

Conor McGregor was slated to face rival TUF 31 coach Michael Chandler at the UFC’s last PPV event of 2023 at UFC 296. However, the bout was postponed due to undisclosed reasons. But, with McGregor having finally indicated his willingness to fight, it seems the fight is going ahead.

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Daniel Cormier feels “The Notorious” is making the run-up to the fight uncomfortable for the former Bellator champion and trying to assert his dominance over him. DC believes McGregor is playing with Chandler at the moment and his insistence on fighting at 185 pounds—two weight classes above their usual—is part of this plan.

“I think McGregor is going to do anything in his power to make [Michael] Chandler uncomfortable and make Chandler realize and know, ‘This is my game. You’re just lucky enough that I choose to play it with you right now.’ That’s what McGregor’s doing,” the former 2x champion said. However, to counter this, he suggested Chandler take a leaf out of Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s book.

DC wants Chandler to follow Khabib Nurmagomedov’s example

Cormier pointed to how Khabib did not let McGregor’s insolence affect him in the run-up to their UFC 229 fight (the most successful card in UFC history). He recalled, “I go back to when he fought Khabib. And Conor was always late to press conferences. He wouldn’t show up and guys would just sit there, twiddling their thumbs, waiting—José Aldo, Chad Mendez, […]. Khabib got up and left.

“He said, ‘This guy’s not professional, I’m leaving. I’m not staying here and just waiting.’ Because Khabib understood, ‘I’m not playing the game by his rules, I’m not just lucky to be in this position.’ He wouldn’t accept it.” This, DC feels is the right approach for Chandler to follow. However, six months is a long time. Will Chandler let McGregor’s tactics get to him? How long can he remain unbothered?

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