Rashad Evans gives Michael Chandler the edge over Conor McGregor due to one important factor: his work ethic.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) are expected to fight after they coached Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which airs Tuesdays on ESPN and ESPN+ through Aug. 15.
During a recent UFC Live show on ESPN+, Evans was asked about McGregor’s comment on wanting to fight three or four times a year, but Evans is more concerned with McGregor’s drive than his activity.
“The reps are always good, but let’s be honest here: It’s not about the reps as much as it’s about the motivation at this point,” Evans said of McGregor. “I feel like he needs to be motivated, and I feel like having a fight that kind of scares you a little bit will wake you up, and you don’t wanna get embarrassed.
“Those are the kinds of fights that he really needs to put his efforts into, because he already knows how to fight. He’s not gonna re-learn how to fight, but the thing about this is he needs that motivation factor.”
Chandler has been chomping at the bit to fight McGregor, but a date is yet to be announced. The former three-time Bellator lightweight champion expects the matchup to happen and has been hard at work in preparation.
Based off of what he’s seen, Evans feels more confident about Chandler than he does McGregor.
“I’ve got to roll with Michael Chandler,” Evans said. “Michael Chandler’s probably in the gym right now doing backflips with medicine balls. I mean, that’s just the kind of intensity that he’s bringing. He’s already in Kill Cliff right now training real hard, so I’ve got Chandler.”
