3 reasons Conor McGregor has the edge over Michael Chandler at UFC 303

MMA expert Simon Head takes a look at the Irishman's return to the Octagon.

By / UFC / 6 months ago

We’re counting down to the biggest UFC fight of the summer.

The Mac is officially back, as Conor McGregor returns to the UFC to take on American Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 in Las Vegas on June 29.

We’re counting down to fight night with a weekly look at the matchup, and we’ll kick things off this week with the man himself as we look at three key reasons why “The Notorious” can return with a win later this month.

UPDATE:

What a shocker! No sooner had Simon closed his laptop and put his feet up, the McGregor v Chandler fight bit the dust with the Irishman picking up an injury. So, not ones to abandon an idea, here’s 3 reasons Alex Pereira will defeat Jiri Prochazka (again) at UFC 303 in the re-scheduled main event.

Fighting McGregor is a “whole different ball game”

When you sign up to fight Conor McGregor, get ready to go on a whirlwind ride of craziness, from the social media shenanigans, to his army of rabid online fans, to the wild events of fight week.

McGregor is famed for his press conference quips, and you can bet he’ll have plenty of material locked, loaded and ready to go for Chandler, whose earnest, but intense, approach to getting the fight paid off when he shot his shot with a bold callout after knocking out Tony Ferguson at UFC 274.

That callout was two years ago, and Chandler has had to show the patience of a saint to get the fight, but the deal is done, the fight is signed, but the journey is just beginning for Chandler. He’s already had to sit and wait for way longer than he would have expected for this fight, and his planned trip to Dublin for a press conference this week was cancelled at the last minute for reasons that still aren’t fully clear.

 

There are bound to be plenty of twists, turns, trials and tribulations between now and fight night on June 29. It’ll be enough to make anyone’s head spin.

And as for fight night, a scrap with McGregor is the biggest in MMA and, even for the world’s best, it’s a big deal. Not everyone copes with the pressure – Jose Aldo was the best fighter on the planet until he uncharacteristically lost his head and got KO’d by McGregor in 13 seconds at UFC 194 – and it’ll be down to Chandler to handle that pressure.

If Chandler is affected in any way, either during the lead-up to the fight, or on fight night itself, it could spell defeat for the former Bellator champion.

Size matters

The big talking point ahead of this fight being booked was over which weight class they would compete in. McGregor’s recent role as “Knox” in the reboot of Road House with Jake Gyllenhall saw him bulk up significantly as he packed on the muscle for his role as the movie’s chief antagonist, and he demanded a fight at a higher weight class.

McGregor had initially said that he wanted the fight to take place at middleweight, some 30 pounds up from Chandler’s usual weight class of lightweight, but the bout was eventually signed at welterweight (170 pounds). It means McGregor should be comfortable at his optimal weight, while Chandler won’t need to go through such a big weight cut during fight week.

However, even though Chandler called for the fight at 170, the higher weight class undoubtedly helps McGregor more than it does Chandler. Conor is the naturally taller, bigger man, and will be competing in his ideal weight class. Chandler, meanwhile, will be carrying a little more weight into the Octagon than usual, and that could slow him down just a touch.

McGregor carries the height, weight, reach and power advantages heading into this fight, and by not having to cut down to 155 pounds, he’ll hold all the aces in those categories on fight night. Chandler can certainly crack, too, but with the fight above his usual weight class, and right in the sweet spot for McGregor, that could be a big advantage on fight night for “The Notorious”.

Chandler has been finished before

Chandler is a powerhouse of an athlete, but nobody’s chin is infallible, including his, as he’s learned to his cost in a number of bouts during his career.

During his time in Bellator, Chandler was stopped by Will Brooks as he lost his bout for the vacant lightweight title at Bellator 131 in 2014. That was the first stoppage loss of Chandler’s career, and he suffered another two and a half years later when he lost his title to Brent Primus, whose calf-kick attack left Chandler unable to continue at Bellator NYC.

That finish was something of a freak occurrence, but the fight that will have shown the most likely path to victory for McGregor was Chandler’s bout with Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 221, where the Brazilian dropped Chandler hard with a lighting fast lead hook, then finished him on the ground.

McGregor has probably watched that finish over and over again during his prep for the bout. And, knowing that he is bigger, stronger and hits harder than Pitbull, McGregor will be licking his lips at the potential for a devastating one-shot KO on his return.

Conor McGregor next fight

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

When is Conor McGregor’s next fight?

Conor McGregor faces Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303, on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

Where will Conor McGregor’s next fight take place?

Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Conor McGregor next fight odds?

All the odds you need can be found right here on paddypower.com. For an at-a-glance look at the latest odds on who will win the McGregor v Chandler match up, check out our widgets below.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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