31 May 2023 , 12:48
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Michael Chandler has claimed UFC legend Conor McGregor made him wait before the pair spent 30 minutes in an awkward staredown which was only shown on TV for a few seconds.
Fans saw a brief interaction between the pair on last night's debut of The Ultimate Fighter, with a preview clip going viral in which the Irishman roasted his American rival. But Chandler has revealed that the pair were actually in the gym for 30 minutes while filming was set up, making for an uncomfortable scenario.
The duo are set to fight at the end of the year, with McGregor expected to return to the USADA drug testing pool shortly in order to knock down their booking's final stumbling block. And even in the brief piece of footage shown last night, the tension can be sensed between the two, even though they were cordial at first.
A viral clip showed McGregor bait Chandler into declaring that he would "do 185lb" for their fight, to which he quickly responded "you'll do what you're told". But there was apparently much more to the interaction, with Chandler telling the UFC's after show "They said go and wait in the gym, I stood there for 10 minutes and then they sent Conor in there and leave us for 30 minutes.
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"What do you do? Start talking trash-talking, insulting each other? Conor and I have a ton of respect for each other. He is a wordsmith, so comfortable in that realm. I don't think Conor wanted to come in spitting venom like he usually does.
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"What is he going to say? I'm not going into the show thinking I am going to win the verbal ju-jitsu match. Sometimes you have to lead with humility and show them they are not going to win that."
Chandler and McGregor have yet to confirm a date, venue or even weight class for their bout, although the likelihood that they meet at their usual division of 155lb is slim. The Irishman has bulked up considerably during his time away from the octagon, and is expected to just about make 170lb for the welterweight limit.
"He's going to slim down a little bit, I am sure," Chandler added. "You go into a training camp and you are going to lose some excess mass. He has definitely put on some mass. Conor and I are about the same size. He picks the right photos for his Instagram feed. Can he carry that mass well? Can he be fast, reactive? It remains to be seen, he is definitely a lot bigger."