UFC STAR Conor McGregor undermined Michael Chandler’s fighting technique as the pair conversed on The Ultimate Fighter.
‘Notorious’ referred to Chandler’s punches as ‘whistlers’ and said he called them ‘the wind’, as the pair talked about fighting without a crowd.
McGregor still has the verbal skills anyway
McGregor and Chandler discuss fighting at the Apex
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 31, 2023
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McGregor asked his imminent opponent if he ever fought at the Apex, which was used for UFC events during the Covid-19 pandemic when there were no crowds.
Neither Chandler or McGregor had fought there but the latter said that he would have loved to.
He said: “Imagine my shots with no crowd. Imagine the sound of my shots with no crowd.
“You’ll hear them up close.”
When Chandler responded saying he should imagine his shots without a crowd, McGregor replied: “Yeah, whistling.”
He continued: “Your shots whistling by. (Whistling noises).
“Whistlers is what I call them. Nowhere close, nowhere close.
“Wind I call them.”
The Crumlin native is due to make his long awaited return to the Octagon later this year when he takes on 36-year-old Chandler.
The UFC announced in April that McGregor would face Chandler in his comeback bout after the two coached on The Ultimate Fighter.
Still no date, venue or weight has been confirmed for McGregor’s fight with Chandler but ‘Notorious’ has said that the announcement is ‘imminent’.
He said: “Michael Chandler, yeah. It will be announced during The Ultimate Fighter.
“So The Ultimate Fighter is airing now in a couple of days on ESPN, and by the time that show finishes we’ll have a date and everything set for the fans.”
The Ultimate Fighter series did not start off as McGregor intended, as he suffered his first coaching disappointment early on.
That’s because he saw one of his fighters get knocked out after just eight seconds.
Nate Jennerman was caught flush with a right in the opening exchange with his combatant Roosevelt Roberts able to immediately capitalise and follow up with a barrage that prompted the referee to step in.
As Roberts celebrated wildly with his other Red Team members the camera panned to McGregor who cut an exasperated figure.
Speaking to camera afterwards, he remarked: “We were all upset for Nate, he didn’t get to show much of what he has.
“It’s a big stage and sometimes we can rise, sometimes it can go against you. Essentially in this one, that’s what happened.”
McGregor has been sidelined since July 2021 when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier.
But he had a successful surgery and has spent the period since rehabilitating and recovering and is now readily prepared to take on Michael Chandler.
Chandler has lost three of his five UFC fights, most recently against Poirier in November.
