Conor McGregor is scheduled to face Michael Chandler on June 29 in the main event of UFC 303. But, after the recent drama of the press conference cancellation, sentiment from many insiders such as commentators Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik is not optimistic.

Not so for Chael Sonnen, who, unlike the other insiders, thinks the fight is a go. Sonnen’s prediction has a simple logic. He reckons McGregor comes from a humble background and he wouldn’t string his hard-working fans along, to abandon them at the last moment.

Sonnen predicts Conor McGregor will fight Chandler on June 29

Conor McGregor is hard at work, preparing for the Chandler bout. Or so it seems from a collection of short clips the Irishman posted a few days ago on his official Instagram account, showing a remarkable sparring and working out session.

UFC analyst and former superstar, Chael Sonnen, believes that since McGregor comes from a working-class background, he has a special respect for his blue-collar fans who would have spent significant money to buy tickets. Owing to this, the former middleweight title contender argues that ‘Notorious’ wouldn’t pull out at the last moment out of respect for these fans.

“I don’t believe that Conor McGregor would allow somebody to continue to make these plans with the hopes of seeing him continue to board up those jumbo jets, get those days off work, keep the reservation on the hotel as opposed to release it. I put nothing over him for that’s a great gamesman [but] there’s a human underneath the gamesmen,” Sonnen said in a video on his YouTube channel.

‘Uncle Chael’ explained that the Irishman has been trying to send a message with his training video package, showing himself fit, healthy, sharp, and ready for the fight.

“For the people that think Conor is going to pull out of the fight or that decision is already made, when you show yourself training, and you show your body as healthy and strong, which is part of the messaging and part of the story, it starts to take away from the reasons or the excuses that one might use,” Sonnen added.

Apart from Sonnen, Michael Chandler himself is optimistic as well, that McGregor won’t withdraw. The 38-year-old was on an episode of the Pivot Podcast last Friday where he emphasized when he took up fighting as a career, it was because he wanted to fight the “biggest of fights”.

Michael Chandler wants the biggest opponents and the brightest lights

Chandler admitted on the Pivot Podcast that the financial incentive with the McGregor bout is important because it will help his family and help them have a better life, but that’s not his sole inspiration. What’s also driving him is the stature of the opponent he will face. That’s the kind of opponent he has dreamt of facing right since the beginning of his career.

“When I was 22 years old, I wanted to become the number one guy in the world and have the biggest fights that you could possibly have. Conor McGregor checks that box of the biggest platform, the brightest lights, the biggest name,” Chandler said.

Chandler hasn’t fought since 2022 waiting to face ‘Mac’ and waiting for his own ‘red-panty night’, after their stint in ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ last year. Do you think Chandler will have his opportunity as scheduled or the fight will ultimately fall off?