Michael Chandler is already planning to face Conor McGregor in the summer after his upcoming bout with Tony Ferguson at UFC 274.
The American star has frequently called for a clash with McGregor since he suffered narrow defeat to Justin Gaethje last year. After breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier, McGregor is targeting a return to the octagon this summer and has made a return to training.
Chandler believes any targeted return date this summer would suit his fight plan for the year, and is confident he will secure victory over Ferguson to put himself in pole position. “It’s one that I’m interested in," Chandler told MMAFighting. "I want the Conor fight just for the magnitude of the moment.
"Stepping inside the octagon and doing something monumental by fighting him. Having all of the mixed martial arts eyeballs, eyeballs all across the world [on you]. You don’t get a bigger platform than fighting Conor McGregor. So that’s what I would love to happen if I don’t get the title shot. July, August works great for me.
"I will go out there and beat Tony in May, have a little time to recover, then go back into training camp for a July-August fight. The timing works out perfect. I think I’m a great guy for Conor if he comes back and doesn’t get a title shot. He’s going to have to go through somebody to get a title shot, I think I’m the perfect guy."
Chandler will first face fellow lightweight contender Ferguson on the undercard of Charles Oliveira's title defence against former opponent Gaethje in May. McGregor has made a return to boxing training ahead of a proposed UFC comeback, but has shown off a new bulky physique which was down to his lifting of weights.
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The Irishman has hinted at an alternative return to 170lbs where his last victory came against Donald Cerrone in 2020. He has called out current champion Kamaru Usman and is willing to make an immediate challenge to his crown. This would put Chandler out of contention but McGregor has previously suggested he could also make the cut to 155lbs despite his new 190lb frame.
McGregor has verbally agreed on social media to make a fight with Chandler last year. The lightweight contender has vowed that he is not just considering a clash for the payday despite the prospect of a lucrative outing. "I think everybody wants to fight Conor obviously but I wanna fight him for a different reason," Chandler told the MMA Hour. "I think everybody wants to fight Conor because they know it's a big payday.
"I'm here in MMA to do big things, to be in big fights, big stages, big opponents, in big arenas with a lot of eyeballs. That's what excites me about a fight with Conor. It's not the payday, it's not the red panty nights and it's not the thing that all these other fighters are chasing."
