Last week, #6 ranked lightweight contender Michael Chandler sent shockwaves through the MMA community when he made it clear that he’s done waiting for his “red panty night” against Conor McGregor. Instead, Chandler has set his sights on Charles Oliveira at UFC’s upcoming Madison Square Garden event, scheduled for the fall. Initially, McGregor wasn’t pleased with Chandler’s decision, publicly slamming him with the remark, “little fat p***y.” However, it now seems McGregor has accepted Chandler’s choice, even giving his green light to the Oliveira-Chandler fight.

McGregor, in addition, shared his fight prediction, as recently revealed by Championship Rounds. In the clip, McGregor favored Chandler, stating, “Chandler has a bit more knowledge of it now. I’d love to see Chandler deal with him, to be honest. We don’t have this thing—we’ll settle the little fool and everything. Do you know what I mean? Let’s see how it goes; it is what it is.”

This sudden shift in McGregor’s attitude toward Oliveira-Chandler 2.0 might be due to Chandler’s consistently positive outlook on McGregor, even though the reason their scheduled fight never materialized was largely because of McGregor’s own issues—whether it was his USADA stints, business ventures, or injuries. Despite all these setbacks caused by McGregor, Chandler never blamed him for his absence from the octagon, stating, “No, not any more than I had at the very beginning. I don’t blame him for anything, I really don’t. … I did all this to myself.”

However, this isn’t the only time Michael Chandler has defended Conor McGregor from his critics. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Chandler highlighted McGregor’s hidden love for mixed martial arts and also vowed to finish his unfinished business with McGregor.

Michael Chandler comes clean on Conor McGregor

Michael Chandler shocked everyone yesterday when he backtracked on his previous comments about Conor McGregor, where he had once labeled him “the most unreliable human being ever.” This remark came after McGregor failed to fulfill his scheduled return to the octagon on June 29th, citing a pinky toe injury as the reason. Chandler’s frustration led to his harsh words.

However, in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, after McGregor announced his return timeline for early 2025, Chandler changed his stance on McGregor, stating, “I do believe he is romantic about the sport. I do believe he loves the sport. I do believe that he is a purist at heart. I believe the respect he has for the sport, the love and adoration he has for the UFC—because he is not Conor McGregor without the UFC—and also him being a man of his word.”

What are your thoughts on Conor McGregor’s remark? Do you also believe that Michael Chandler can take down someone like Charles Oliveira, especially since he was unsuccessful before? Drop your opinion below.