UFC lightweight Michael Chandler is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career when he takes on Conor McGregor at UFC 302 in June. His fight with McGregor is contested at 170 pounds but he's not losing sight of the 155-pound division during his fight camp.
There's a pivotal lightweight title fight scheduled between the reigning champion Islam Makhachev and former interim champion Dustin Poirier. Chandler's thought long and hard about how the fight between the two could go as he's hopeful that if he gets through McGregor, he could get a shot at the winner.
“Islam has the wrestling, grappling, strength, size advantage, and I think Islam finishes him, to be honest,” Chandler said in a recent Instagram Q&A (h/t MMA Junkie). “It’s a title fight Islam is more versed in.”
Chandler and Poirier have fought before. Chandler suffered a third-round submission to Poirier at UFC 281. But the former Bellator champion has never seen combat with Makhachev. He says that's not impacting his prediction.
“Poirier and I have history,” Chandler said. “Poirier doesn’t like me. I sleep fine at night knowing that. Poirier is very good, but that being said, Islam has his number.”