Michael Chandler‘s long-time dream to fight Conor McGregor for the ‘red panty night’ has come to an end. After waiting for two years, the American fighter finally moved on and signed a fight with Charles Oliveira. On top of that, the ‘Iron’ has also set his eyes on the lightweight championship bout against Islam Makhachev.
Chandler and McGregor came close to fighting each other at UFC 303. McGregor’s unexpected injury scrapped the booking. They were expected to return by the end of the year. Chandler decided to wait further but got frustrated without any concrete promises. Now, the American lightweight has decided to pursue the UFC lightweight title run, which starts with beating Oliveira.
It’s gonna be Islam. I believe I beat Charles at MSG, and… Good old division one, American wrestling beats Dagestani Sambo every day of the week.
Michael Chandler via UFC on TNT Sports
Chandler explained that he greatly respects Islam Makhachev and would like to test his skills against him. He always wanted to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov, and by fighting Makhachev, Chandler would come close to fulfilling his dream. Chandler will fight Oliveira at UFC 309 and will look forward to bouncing back from his last loss.
Michael Chandler says if he beats Charles Oliveira and is offered to fight either Conor McGregor or Islam Makhachev for the title, he’d fight Islam:
“It’s gonna be Islam. I believe I beat Charles at MSG, and… American wrestling beats Dagestani sambo every day of the week.
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 16, 2024
Islam Makhachev had previously turned Chandler down once, calling the ‘Iron’ ‘unreliable.’ However, defeating the ex-Brazilian champion might secure Chandler’s championship opportunity. It would be interesting to watch how Makhachev responds to Chandler’s idea to turn it into an American wrestling vs. Sambo match.
Islam Makhachev doesn’t respect American wrestling
Islam Makhachev has frequently stated that Dagestani wrestling is superior to American wrestling, causing some animosity in the MMA world. He and Khabib Nurmagomedov, frequently emphasize the efficacy of their unique combination of wrestling, judo, and sambo.
Islam Makhachev and Jordan Burroughs (via Imago/X)This clash demonstrates Dagestani fighters’ growing supremacy in MMA, raising debate about which wrestling style is more successful. While Makhachev admires American wrestlers’ accomplishments, he dismisses their style in comparison to his own.
During an interview with Daniel Cormier, Makhachev mentioned that he could go toe-to-toe against the legendary Jordan Burroughs. DC laughed at Makhachev’s claims, suggesting otherwise, as Burroughs is a six-time world champion.
I respect him brother but this guy has just double-leg. I am going to defend his double leg. And how he take point? He goes double leg, everybody defends, he pushed everybody. In AKA, we have wall. He cannot push me,
Islam Makhachev via Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel
UFC middleweight phenom Bo Nickal was recently asked about this topic, but he quickly dismissed the claims. Meanwhile, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs has had his own problems with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Burroughs felt that the ‘Eagle’ had once discredited his wrestling abilities, which stemmed his frustration. Fortunately, things didn’t escalate further.
