Latest news with #UFC314
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Chandler still wants Conor McGregor fight, but won't 'lose sleep at night' over it
Michael Chandler still wants Conor McGregor fight, but won't 'lose sleep at night' over it Show Caption Hide Caption Michael Chandler breaks silence on Paddy Pimblett, Conor McGregor Michael Chandler talks to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn in his first interview since his loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314. Michael Chandler isn't giving up on the idea of a fight against Conor McGregor, but he isn't losing any sleep over it either. After coaching opposite one another on "The Ultimate Fighter," Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) and McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) were supposed to put a cap on the season by meeting in the octagon. Although the fight was trending towards becoming a reality as contracts were drawn up for last June, the fight never materialized. "I get asked about it in every single interview, and rightfully so," Chandler told MMA Junkie. "The Conor-Chandler thing just stays alive, right? Just a couple of weeks ago, all of a sudden, he said, 'Iron' Michael Chandler, unfinished business.' It's not just the fact that we had the contract that we were supposed to fight in June, we did 'The Ultimate Fighter,' we have to finish 'The Ultimate Fighter.' It's just like staying alive." Chandler decided to move on after sitting on the sidelines for two years while waiting for McGregor to make it to the octagon. After a submission loss to Dustin Poirier in November 2022, Chandler returned to action at UFC 309 in November 2024, where he dropped a unanimous decision in a rematch against Charles Oliveira. Chandler's most recent outing was at UFC 314, where Paddy Pimblett stopped him in the third round. It's been a rough stretch for Chandler. While the interest in a McGregor matchup isn't nearly as high as it once was, talk of the potential fight continues. McGregor hasn't been active since a gruesome injury in a trilogy bout against Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. The intrigue remains due to the personalities and their ability to create excitement in the cage. While Chandler himself still wants the fight to happen, he learned his lesson about waiting around before for the former two-division UFC champ. If it happens, it happens. "It's one of those deals where I'm not losing sleep at night, trying to get the Conor fight, wanting to get the Conor fight," Chandler said. "If me and Conor are supposed to fight, and he's supposed to come back, it's gonna happen and I don't need to force it. With that being said, if I'm a betting man, I'm not sure if he comes back. Do I want to fight him? Do I want to finish 'The Ultimate Fighter 31'? Absolutely. So, we'll see. "All I know is, I'm going to enjoy my family over the summertime, work on some big time business that I've been working on for the last couple weeks since the fight, and see how this whole thing unfolds. ... If that Conor fight is out there and that needs to happen in January, that makes a lot of sense, so we'll see."
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paddy Pimblett prefers Justin Gaethje over 'absolute tool' Arman Tsarukyan, gets response
Paddy Pimblett prefers Justin Gaethje over 'absolute tool' Arman Tsarukyan, gets response Paddy Pimblett explains why Justin Gaethje, not Arman Tsarukyan is the fight to make. Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is perhaps one big win away from title contention after scoring a dominant finish of Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April. Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira will battle for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event on June 28, and Pimblett sees Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) as his ticket to the winner of that fight. "I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October," Pimblett told BBC Sport. "I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage. I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins (against Oliveira). I'd love to beat him if he gets the belt. I'd love to fight him anyway, but he's booked, so I think it's more than likely Justin Gaethje." The only other available option for Pimblett in the top five is Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who was booked to face Islam Makhachev in a title fight at UFC 311 before withdrawing the day before due to a back injury. Pimblett went off on Tsarukyan for pulling out. Tsarukyan said he'd be willing to fight Pimblett in summer, but "The Baddy" did not reciprocate the interest. "No one (cares) about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight," Pimblett said. "People know it'll be an exciting fight, me vs. Gaethje. Tsarukyan, he's just an absolute tool, and then it's me and Gaethje. One win away and I'll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that's always been the aim. It's the only aim that we have." Tsarukyan fired back at Pimblett.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Michael Chandler hints at January 2026 UFC return fight with Conor McGregor
Chandler proposes January 2026 date for McGregor bout Michael Chandler has reignited talks of a potential UFC fight with Conor McGregor by suggesting a new date for their long-delayed matchup. Posting on the social media platform Threads, Chandler wrote 'Conor!!!!! 1/24/26,' hinting at a possible return event early in 2026. The former Bellator lightweight champion and McGregor were originally expected to face each other following their coaching roles on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 31 in 2023. Despite initial plans to schedule the bout after the season concluded, it failed to come together. McGregor later withdrew from a proposed UFC 303 headliner due to a reported toe injury. Also read: How UFC's move to Netflix might affect your fight night, Joe Rogan weighs in by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You will never turn off your computer again. Undo Following the cancellation, Chandler returned to the Octagon for a rematch with Charles Oliveira in November 2024, and later fought Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314. Losses in both contests extended Chandler's losing streak to three, matching the longest skid of his professional career. The UFC has scheduled events only through UFC 320 on September 13, 2025. A January 24, 2026 event would likely be the promotion's first pay-per-view card of the year, as the UFC traditionally pauses operations in late December and early January. Live Events McGregor's UFC future remains unconfirmed As of now, there is no confirmation that the UFC has engaged in discussions with either fighter about booking a bout for 2026. Conor McGregor has remained publicly silent on his fighting future. McGregor's last UFC appearance occurred nearly four years ago during a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, which ended with McGregor suffering a leg injury and a second consecutive defeat. Prior to that, the Irish fighter returned in 2020 after a long layoff to score a 40-second victory over Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone at UFC 246. McGregor rose to international prominence with his 2016 knockout victory over Eddie Alvarez, securing titles in two UFC weight divisions. He subsequently participated in a high-profile boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017, before returning to the UFC for a failed title attempt against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. Also read: The Ultimate Fighter season 33 episode 1 recap; how Cormier and Sonnen cheered newcomers Chandler's latest callout adds to ongoing speculation surrounding McGregor's potential return. While the January 2026 date may be tentative or speculative, it highlights Chandler's continued interest in facing the former UFC champion despite recent setbacks.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michael Chandler Finally Opens Up About ‘Baddy' Beatdown
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Mangled Mike has finally broken his silence. It has been 47 days since Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Paddy Pimblett destroyed Michael Chandler inside the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, at UFC 314 (watch highlights), and for the most part, 'Iron' Mike kept quiet other than a few motivational posts. Advertisement Well, today, Chandler has finally opened up about his stoppage loss. 'I feel like I couldn't get my rhythm. I couldn't get my range,' Chandler told MMA Junkie. 'Paddy fights long, he fights with his chin way up in the air, and he's pretty far away from you. Throws a lot of kicks to keep the distance, and I felt like I was just kind of getting settled in and obviously, took the knee to the face, and then got taken down, and that was the end of it. It's one of those deals where you learn. Hat's off to Paddy, he had a great gameplan, went out there and got the win.' Chandler has no regrets about taking the fight, even though he had a lingering knee injury that hindered him. 'I was coming off a knee injury that I needed to get some rehab on and some physical therapy and all that stuff,' Chandler said. 'It started feeling better, and I'm the kind of guy where I'd rather just go than sit around and wait, you know? Maybe that was the wrong decision, but I was moving around well in the training decision to take the fight pretty early was my decision and my decision alone.' Advertisement As for when the former Bellator champion wants to return, he is taking the summer off to enjoy being a fan of the sport but knows there are plenty of names for his next outing (including a Conor McGregor fight that he has teased). 'I'm definitely going to take a little bit of time off. I'm going to take the summer off,' Chandler said. 'I've already spoken to the UFC that, 'Hey, don't call me for any summer shows.' I will show up, I will be a fan, I will do some appearances.' 'I will be a part of the UFC brand, but I need to take a little bit of time off and heal my body up. Then we'll see what's next. There's obviously a ton of different names out there, ton of possibilities, and we'll see,' Chandler concluded. To checkout more MMA news and notes click here. More from
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC's Mateusz Gamrot explains dislike for 'arrogant' Paddy Pimblett
UFC's Mateusz Gamrot explains dislike for 'arrogant' Paddy Pimblett Mateusz Gamrot is not a fan of fellow UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett. Gamrot (24-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) mocked Pimblett (22-4 MMA, 7-0 UFC) after he was brought to tears watching his teammate Molly McCann retire after UFC Fight Night 255 in London. He explained why he has an issue with Liverpool native, who finds himself on the cusp of title contention after a dominant finish of Michael Chandler at UFC 314. "I don't like this guy," Gamrot said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "He talks too much. He's arrogant from England. He has talked some things about me many times. I'd love to meet him in the octagon because his way to this position he has right now was so easy. If he gets a good opponent against him, I don't think he wins this fight. I'd love fight with him. He's from Europe, I am from Europe. "If the UFC makes this fight, I think it's going to be the biggest fight in the lightweight division for Europe. My opinion, he's great stylistic (matchup) for me, and I'll beat him for sure. He's a grappler, I am grappler. I love scrambling with somebody on the ground because my previous opponent (Hooker) was only a striker. The ground was fire for everybody, and everybody stands up. I'd love to roll with somebody on the ground." Gamrot meets Ludovit Klein (23-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in a three-round bout May 31 at UFC on ESPN 68 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He explains why he wound up drawing an unranked lightweight. "I tried to find somebody from rankings to get a good fight, but everybody was booked or nobody wanted to fight with me," Gamrot said. "I told the UFC it doesn't matter. Give me someone without ranking because I want to stay busy this year. I just want to fight and show how I have improved my MMA skills."
