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UFC lightweight Michael Chandler recently addressed his feud with Conor McGregor. They coached against each other on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter and have been linked to a fight ever since. With the White House event approaching, Chandler set the record straight on his relationship with McGregor. After The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC booked McGregor and Chandler to headline UFC 3o3. However, the Irishman withdrew due to injury, which canceled fight. ‘Iron’ later returned to the octagon at UFC 309, facing Charles Oliveira in a rematch instead. Many assumed that Chandler held animosity toward McGregor. The canceled bout and McGregor’s uncertain return fueled that belief. However, Chandler insists there is no bad blood between them. During an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports, Chandler spoke with respect about and recalled their interactions on TUF. “My interactions with [McGregor] were pretty cordial. Obviously, he does a good job for the cameras so to speak. And when the cameras are off, he’s a little bit more normal, a little less confrontational, but I think there’s just a huge level of respect between Conor and I,” Chandler said. “You don’t have to hate somebody to go out there and finish them in a fight.” Chandler emphasized the respect is mutual. “Conor and I have a lot of respect for each other and I think that’s why you’re seeing this fight stay alive. Why we’re talking about this fight at the White House.” Michael Chandler Always Remained Optimistic About Conor McGregor Fight Despite their cancelled bout at UFC 303, Michael Chandler never lost faith in facing Conor McGregor. He stayed optimistic that the fight would eventually happen. Now, their fight has a chance to headline a historic card. Fans questioned whether McGregor would return. That uncertainty faded when he expressed interest in the White House event. UFC CEO Dana White later confirmed the Irishman’s desire to compete at the event. Chandler shared how he stayed grounded when talks stalled. “Sometime the biggest letdowns turn into becoming the biggest blessings,” Chandler told Heavy Sports. “If you look at it and it all works out that way, you’ll look back and say, ‘Man, if a bad thing happens to you but a good thing comes from it,’ you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Was it really a bad thing?’ And I’ve seen that happen in my life millions of times.” He added: “You never quite know how things are going to work out. Things that were perceived tragedies turn out to be awesome.” Chandler Says Fighting McGregor at the White House Would Be Fitting Conclusion Fans have waited years for McGregor vs. Chandler, and it could finally happen at a unique event. The White House event is significant as it will coincide with President Donald Trump‘s 80th birthday and America’s 250th anniversary. Chandler believes a White House showdown would be a fitting conclusion to their rivalry. If the fight takes place, it will mark three years since their season of The Ultimate Fighter. Chandler, 39, doesn’t view this as his final fight. Instead, he sees it as the right conclusion to a long-running story. “I think it would be an awesome storybook ending to not for my career, but the saga of The Ultimate Fighter 31: Chandler vs. McGregor. Kind of close that chapter on the south lawn at the White House.”
