Conor McGregor has expressed his interest in Michael Chandler‘s showdown with Paddy Pimblett this weekend amid a potential return to the cage.
Pimblett and Chandler are gearing up to face off in the co-main event at UFC 314 in Miami, a five-round showdown set to take place at the Kaseya Center. ‘The Baddy’ is entering the fight fresh from a spectacular win over King Green in Manchester last July. However, he acknowledges that Saturday night will present the most challenging test of his career yet.
Meanwhile, Chandler, the ex-Bellator lightweight champion, suffered a defeat at the hands of Charles Oliveira in his last outing back in November. Prior to the defeat, the American had taken a two-year break, largely because he was awaiting a fight with McGregor.
The duo were rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter series back in 2023. Both fighters were scheduled to face each other at UFC 303 last year. However, just a few weeks before the pay-per-view event, McGregor withdrew from the fight after suffering an injury in training.
‘The Notorious’ hasn’t stepped into the cage since his loss to long-time adversary Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. Despite his absence from the ring, it seems the Irishman will be eagerly watching Chandler’s clash with Pimblett. In a clip shared on X – which used to go by the name Twitter – the UFC icon revealed: “I am interested in the Chandler/Pimblett fight this weekend.”
The 36-year-old UFC legend tagged various accounts, including UFC and TKO Group Holdings, alongside a forty-two-second video that shows him training with pads, sparking speculation he might be eyeing a bout with the victor of the upcoming clash.
This tease comes just a few weeks after he hinted at calling time on his fighting career. Speaking at a BKFC media day in Florida, he disclosed: “I’ve got two fights on the contract, I’m in negotiations,” adding, “Last week something happened to me, I went to the White House and my heart bleeds for my country right now. So there’s a lot of stuff going on back home, I’m happy with what I’ve done. There’s something else for me that’s in my gut right now and that’s kind of where I’m going.”
Nevertheless, the fighter quickly stirred up excitement again when probed about juggling fighting and a potential political role. He instantly responded: “F*****g right I will, of course, are you crazy? That’s part of why I want to do it! To be announced as the President of Ireland while having a fight? Imagine that. But for sure, hell yeah, hell yes.”
With the highly-anticipated bout just around the corner, it’s not only McGregor who’s eager to see Pimblett take Chandler; there’s a buzz suggesting that their fight might snatch the ‘Fight of the Night’ award. Nevertheless, ahead of the showdown, ‘The Baddy’ has launched a scathing judgement on Chandler.
“He’s the nicest man in the world outside the cage, and when he gets in there he’s a dirty b******, isn’t he?” quipped Pimblett during the UFC 314 media day on Wednesday. “I always say if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying, so I understand what he’s trying to do. He wants to win. That’s the main thing when it comes to this game, but yeah, I probably will mention the referee in the back like, ‘If he’s going to grab my gloves, I’m going to say it. If he tries to poke me in the eye and stuff like that.'”.
Elaborating on his concerns, Pimblett added: “That one against Charles when he punched him in the back of the head about nine times or something and ref, I hope that’s not my referee. Just put it that way. I hope I get a good ref like Goddard or Herzog. I don’t want to have a ref that’s just going to let me get rabbit punched in the back of the head consistently.”
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