Conor McGregor insists he is ready to return to action, but communication with the UFC has broken down in recent months and there has been no word on when he will fight again.
Meanwhile, Michael Chandler continues to wait for a fight, having signed a deal to bring McGregor back to the Octagon. He has made it clear that he has no intention of fighting anyone until McGregor returns.
The second anniversary of Chandler's hiatus is approaching in November.
UFC welterweight Matt Brown understands why Chandler is waiting. Because a fight with McGregor is a chance to cash in a huge payday in the biggest fight in the history of the sport. While this fight may add a few zeros to his bank account, Brown tells Chandler that, barring financial fortune, he has no hope of defeating McGregor in 2024, or whenever the fight actually takes place. He warns that it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things.
“Michael Chandler has been waiting for a night of red panties” [two] For years,” Brown said in the latest episode. Fighter vs. Writer. “If Conor came back and fought him and Chandler won, how much of a star would he be? Chandler is already a pretty good star, but the name power is pretty good and it would be pretty solid. But does anyone really care?
“When Nate is around. [Diaz] Yay, it was special. We thought Connor was the guy, but Nate gave what the fuck two weeks notice? That was amazing. But even if Chandler did it, I don't think we'd be impressed. Okay, you beat the guy who's been watching movies, drinking, and partying for three years. ”
It seems like forever ago when Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez to become the first dual-division champion in UFC history. Since that night eight years ago, the 35-year-old Irish superstar has only appeared in the UFC four times, amassing a record of 1-3, but suffered a severe broken bone in his last fight and lost three fights. He was away from the front for nearly a year.
In a way, Brown equates Chandler defeating McGregor to Jake Paul facing former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
“That could happen to Jake Paul,” Brown said. “He's going out and beating Mike Tyson and getting that fame, but you're beating a 57-year-old man. Get out of here.”
With McGregor celebrating his 36th birthday in July and appearing to be on the other side of his career, Brown doubts whether the strength of his name alone will pique interest in the fight.
Chandler has spent nearly two years of his career betting on the fact that defeating McGregor still means a lot.
“Even if he fights Conor, even if he beats Conor, I doubt it will be a lottery ticket like it was a few years ago,” Brown said. “I don't know. I'm still learning so Connor never fights again.”
“when [Conor] say something like [he’s anxious to return]it gives me a little [hope], not 100 percent, but now it's like 90 percent, he's not fighting again. I don't know. It just lost interest too much. If he comes back and fights after this movie, the mainstream will be very interested. Everybody's gonna see that, but if you went to beat him, what did you do? I don't think anyone would be that impressed. ”
A lot has changed in McGregor's absence, with a number of new fighters emerging as top contenders. So even if he beats Chandler, the path back to the top of any division won't be an easy one.
Brown believes McGregor will have a hard time beating most of the fighters currently ranked in the top 15 at either lightweight or welterweight.
“I would choose [Benoit Saint Denis], I would pick Drew Dober to beat him,” Brown said. “[Renato] I think Moicano would beat him easily — it might not be easy, but I think it would be a good matchup for Moicano. Moicano, he's a guy who can beat anyone in the division on the right night. I think he can be champion on the right night. Apparently they are closed at night as well.
“He's in the homicide division. 155 and 170. There's a fight between murderers over there. Even at 170, Neil Magny would beat him. What's Neil? [ranked] 14 or 15? ”
That being said, Brown hopes McGregor will take his return to active duty seriously and expend significant resources to return to the same fighter that once ranked among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. There is. He's not betting on it, but there's a world where I can see McGregor coming back with a vengeance.
“If Connor takes it seriously, Connor gets healthy, stops having fun, drinks, parties, whatever he's putting into his body, if he takes it seriously, this whole story I think it’s going to go out the window,” Brown said. . “He still has the talent to beat just about anyone in those divisions. It doesn't seem like he takes it seriously.
“We don't even know what to believe about him. He says all kinds of crazy things, but even though he's been in and out, he's been training to some extent and is at least a little bit… If he stays sharp, he's the one. He could come back and surprise everyone, look great, and accomplish another Eddie Alvarez moment. He's ******'s He's an athlete. He's a great fighter, he's got great eyes, he's got great reactions, so he could surprise everyone. Even in a comeback, he could surprise us with a rematch and give us a great look. I think he's like that. I hope they do, but I don’t think they will.”
