Michael Chandler’s UFC journey is starting to resemble a movie that keeps teasing its climax, but never delivers. He’s coached ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ opposite Conor McGregor, and called out ‘The Notorious’ at every turn. Yet, despite all the hype and headline-grabbing promos, the fight that could define his career remains stuck in limbo.
McGregor, as unpredictable as ever, recently cracked open the door again. After a long silence, he recently dropped a tweet that sent fans into a frenzy—he wants a stadium event if he’s to return. All eyes turned to Chandler, who fired back with a cryptic post on X that read, “Unfinished Business Loading…” Sounds hopeful, right? But just when the lights seemed ready to shine again, someone from ‘Iron’s own team revealed that his most recent loss had a lot more going on behind the scenes than the fans might be aware of!
Michael Chandler gets a brutal reality check from Jared Gordon
Enter Jared Gordon, the man who made headlines after his unanimous decision loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 282. Many felt as though Gordon had done enough to win the fight, but the Liverpool native got the nod from the judges instead.
In a recent interview with ‘Inside Fighting’, Gordon didn’t hold back his thoughts on what went wrong for Chandler at UFC 314. The fight, billed as a battle between rising star and veteran warrior, ended with Chandler being handed his third straight defeat. And now, Gordon’s blunt words are raising eyebrows.
“I mean, so I’m teammates with Mike,” Gordon began, his tone careful but honest. “So I could just see how he was training…” He tried to cushion the blow, saying he wasn’t out to “bad mouth” Chandler. But the reality of what he saw in training left him feeling uneasy. Why?
He further shared, “I saw all the way he was training, who he was training with, and I was like, I don’t think he’s gonna do it. And, like, Mike’s my buddy, but, like, I just that’s just how I felt going into it.”
Coming from a teammate, they’re not just an outside observation—they’re the kind of insight that speaks louder than fight footage. Gordon made it clear he has respect for Chandler and considers him a friend, but friendship doesn’t blur the truth.
Now, with McGregor teasing a return yet again and Michael Chandler desperately holding onto hope, the question is—will the UFC bite? Let’s not forget—the Irishman hasn’t fought since 2021, when he snapped his leg in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. He hasn’t even won a fight since 2020. Chandler, on the other hand, hasn’t had his hand raised since UFC 274, where he knocked out Tony Ferguson, and is riding a 3-fight losing streak after the disappointing outing against Paddy Pimblett.
But while Conor McGregor fans continue to dream of stadium lights and comeback chaos, not everyone is buying the hype as a UFC veteran recently revealed his thoughts on the matchup that, according to him, shouldn’t even be discussed anymore!
Chael Sonnen shuts down McGregor’s attempts at building up hype for a Chandler fight again
Chael Sonnen, never one to mince words, has flipped the script on the dream matchup. According to him, McGregor and Chandler have “no business” fighting each other anymore. Why?
The UFC veteran and analyst explained on a video on his YouTube channel, “[Conor says] ‘I will come back, I have unfinished business with Michael Chandler’ — let me stop you right there. You and Chandler don’t have any business.”
For Sonnen, it’s not just about fight records or pay-per-view sales. It’s about legitimacy. He didn’t hold back, either. He reminded everyone of The Ultimate Fighter 31 flop, where McGregor and Chandler coached opposite each other. That season was supposed to spark fire. Instead? “The ratings were so bad,” Sonnen said, “they had to bring in Daniel Cormier and I to try and revive the whole story.”
And then came the dagger. Sonnen fired off with, “You want to get a stadium against the same opponent that you had a contract for and didn’t show up. I know Michael Chandler, I am friends with Michael Chandler, you have no business with Michael Chandler.”
So, where does that leave us? This isn’t just about Conor McGregor anymore. It’s about Chandler’s legacy. And unless something changes soon, “Unfinished Business” might turn into ‘The Fight That Never Was.’ So, what’s next for ‘Iron Mike’? A miracle or a curtain call? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Amid Conor McGregor Fight Pursuit, Michael Chandler Gets Bad News From UFC Teammate Concerning Paddy Pimblett Humiliation appeared first on EssentiallySports.