Michael Chandler takes ‘extreme responsibility’ for Conor McGregor situation: ‘It’s up to me’

Michael Chandler is back.

One of MMA’s most reliable purveyors of entertainment and violence has been put on hold for the past two years, largely due to the seemingly endless wait for a fight with Conor McGregor. UFC 303 appeared to be the long-awaited resolution to the Chandler-McGregor saga last July, but McGregor suffered a broken pinky toe that forced him to withdraw and continued to leave Chandler in limbo. After initially remaining patient, Chandler finally came to the conclusion last summer that enough was enough. He then had a rematch with another former UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira. The two meet in a five-round non-title bout in the co-main event of UFC 309 on Saturday in New York City.

Despite the horrific circumstances of the McGregor match, Chandler hasn’t completely given up hope. The Notorious has been open about his plans to return next year and Chandler intends to be ready no matter what he does in the meantime.

“Conor does his thing, I do my thing and there are 600 other people on the squad. He and she should just do their own thing. And that’s it,” Chandler said on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” ” “I rather think it was a great process for me. It was beneficial.”

“When he comes back, his path back to the UFC will be through one man. It’s over Nashville, Tennessee, and we have to finish TUF 31. So I’ll take care of business on Saturday night and see what’s next.”

Chandler, 38, was widely criticized by industry insiders during his hiatus. It’s not often that such drastic holdouts occur in MMA without accompanying injuries or other violent setbacks.

Arguably the most flexible participant in the McGregor saga, Chandler doesn’t blame his rival or the promotion. While blame and excuses are the easiest, he brings everything back to himself and the control he had from the start.

“Ultimately it’s about extreme responsibility,” Chandler said. “I could have done that at any time – from the first moment [UFC CBO] hunter [Campbell] called me and said, “Hey, we thought this would work.” [this date]. At least that doesn’t happen here.’ In any one of those moments I could have said, ‘Hey, Hunter.’ I’m done, man. I won’t wait any longer.’ It’s up to me. I have control over my own career. They didn’t tell me to wait. They said, ‘Now it’s going to happen.’ Do you want to wait or don’t you want to wait?’ I’ll wait. This is about Michael Chandler. This is a Michael Chandler decision I made.

“Yes, there were many external circumstances, but the responsibility lies solely on my shoulders. So I can’t be mad at Conor for pulling out of that fight. I can’t be mad at the UFC for not booking the fight soon enough.

“If only people would realize that happiness, joy, peace and contentment lie on the other side of the feeling of power one has over oneself when it comes to taking extreme responsibility for oneself and one’s actions,” he continued continued. “Because one thing is certain: we will get what we deserve. What we work for, what we don’t work for, the compromises we make, the things we go above and beyond, the discipline we have, the when we make decisions we get what we deserve. This is how I live my life.

The former three-time Bellator lightweight champion has been an indispensable competitor in the cage throughout his career, which makes it all the more difficult for fans to not see him compete for two years. Coincidentally, Chandler’s upcoming showdown with Oliveira takes place at the same venue where he last fought: the world-famous Madison Square Garden. This time around, Chandler is hoping to walk away with his hand raised after suffering his first career loss by submission when Dustin Poirier defeated him in November 2022.

Getting back in the win column won’t be the only flaw Chandler is aiming for in his fourth overall MSG appearance. Chandler is 0-3 in the building and Oliveira is a former opponent who has already beaten him.

Oliveira vs. Chandler 1 was a car crash while it lasted in May 2021. In the division’s first lightweight title fight since Khabib Nurmagomedov, Oliveira’s reign began with a second-round stoppage. Although it was the sixth loss of Chandler’s 31-fight career (23-8), it had the worst consequences.

“That was probably the most painful point of my career after a loss,” Chandler said. “Because it was my only chance, I thought.

“You never know in this sport, man. It’s about what you’ve done for me lately. You lose and suddenly I’m the star of the week this week. People are excited to watch me fight. You lose it, what happens next? Can you rebuild yourself? Then, God forbid, there are injuries or falls.

“This was my only chance, I thought, to finally become – this dream that I’ve had since I was 22 when I started playing the sport, to follow Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley and to say, ‘Hey, one day I want to I will.’ the No. 1 man in the world.’ And Charles Oliveira shattered that dream and now it’s just a coincidence that now I get another opportunity to race against him to right the wrong and get back in the win column to become the No. 1 contender and then to fight a widely respected – one of the greatest lightweights of all time, who I believe will be Islam [Makhachev]. I think he beats Arman [Tsarukyan] when they fight in January or whenever that is. So it will be interesting.

Chandler’s hopes of competing for the gold medal a second time following a possible victory from Oliveira are optimistic, but even crazier things have happened. A thrilling win over “Do Bronx” would theoretically put Chandler back in the top three lightweights, as Oliveira is currently ranked No. 2 and Chandler is ranked No. 7.

In their first meeting, Chandler had several moments of brilliance, surviving on the ground and hurting the Brazilian with punches. To prepare, he watched the first round again last week. The second round? There wasn’t much to it, it only lasted 19 seconds.

“I made a really stupid mistake in the second round that I’ve since made up for,” Chandler said. “I was too young, man. Even though I was old, I was too young. I was too new to this sport. I had two and a half minutes of Octagon experience. And, man, not only have I grown as an adult fighter, but obviously in the last two years outside of competition, I’ve changed so many things and worked to transform myself into a completely different man.

Chandler joined the UFC in 2021 preaching “not to be here for a long time, but for a good time” and has stayed true to that quote. It’s been a rollercoaster ride, and he expects more good to come out of it, no matter the results.

“If something bad happens to you – the Conor fight, the build-up, the waiting, the failed fight, the wasting the bag, all the naysayers pointing the finger at me, laughing at me – if something bad happens to you, but. “Something good comes out of it, was it really something bad?” said Chandler. “This has been revealed to me so many times in my life. It comes to fruition on Saturday evening.”