After his UFC on ESPN 56, Joaquin Buckley asked for “the” fight — the returning superstar Conor McGregor. The Irishman makes his hyped return in a five-round welterweight headliner at UFC 303 (ESPN+). He faces Michael Chandler. Peers and pundits branded Joaquin Buckley’s callout as abstract and reaching too far. In light of that, he backtracks by dissing Chandler.
‘New Mansa’ went 5-4 at 185-pound before dropping down to welterweight. After defeating Nursulton Ruziboev, he’s on a 4-0 streak. The fighter thus thought it appropriate to jibe at the returning fighter in the foulest of terms. According to UFC Official listings, Conor McGregor boasts some of the biggest buyouts; hence, everybody wants to be an undercard to ‘The Notorious.’
But the opportunity to fight McGregor at 170-pound is too good to let go. On a sabbatical since his 2021 trilogy loss, McGregor holds on to his fame but not much else in the shape of stats or rankings. Veterans like Daniel Cormier or Michael Bisping might find the callout appalling, but Buckley knows when to bank on it. Now, he doubles down by vigorously mocking Chandler.
Conor could fight a blind crippled Nigha in a wheelchair and that shit would make 20 million instead he fighting the midget 💯 https://t.co/kIjvix4QOk
— Joaquin New Mansa Buckley (@Newmansa94) May 14, 2024
It took Michael Chandler numerous Bellator MMA scraps and five ranked opponents to match against McGregor. Instead of debating resumes, Buckley (19-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) takes to praising McGregor. McGregor’s comeback fight has already broken UFC’s record with a projected live gate of $20 million. Buckley quips McGregor would generate the buyout, fighting a complete nobody, let alone Chandler. His line of diss will grab both fighters’ attention eventually.
Michael Chandler hyped about his return against Conor McGregor
Joaquin ‘New Mansa’ Buckley might think Michael Chandler flexing a $20,000,000+ live gate for his return is astute egotism. However, Chandler is just as hyped as the rest of the fans and peers. He and Conor McGregor have been out of the game too long not to have built up some overshooting anticipations.
Michael Chandler (Source: UFC.go.com)Even before eviscerating Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, he wanted the Irishman next. The duo were set to fight right after TUF: Season 31 aired. However, with USADA reeling in and McGregor not needing contractual rehashings, it was postponed. The whole of Michael Chandler’s X space chronicles his journey to the match he yearns for. It’s full of weekly workouts and prepping, random callouts, and tinkering sidenotes of the fight.
$20,000,000+
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) May 12, 2024
Conor out here making moves….hate it or love it, the dude is making stuff happen. With that being said, I KO him within 10 min on June 29 at #UFC303 @TheNotoriousMMA
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) April 28, 2024
Concurrently, Chandler participated in a Spec Ops Navy SEAL Experience training that @panerai hosted. A 155-pound long-stay, he has also been going through bulking regimes for his rise to welterweight standards. He is equally ecstatic to be using the UFC’s new Official Fight gloves, which debut at UFC 302.
UFC has finally introduced five different variants of the “3Eight” and “5Eight” Gloves, which can be seen in the introduction at UFC 302. Before a recent sitdown for MMAFighting on SBN, Chandler said he was sent to test out the gloves and expects far fewer eye pokes as an output.
