Dustin Poirier explains why Conor McGregor would defeat Michael Chandler
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier explained why his longtime rival Conor McGregor would defeat Michael Chandler in a potential fight.
Poirier has fought McGregor three times, winning the last two battles via TKO, while he is coming off of a submission win over Chandler at UFC 281 in his last outing. So it’s fair to say “The Diamond” knows a lot about both men. While speaking to Bloody Elbow’s Eddie Mercado in a recent interview, Poirier explained why he would give McGregor the edge if he fights Chandler.
“I would favor Conor. I think Chandler is very hittable, Conor’s timing. We’ll see with the layoff, too. Might be a big factor for Conor. But, yeah, I would pick Conor still in this one. Chandler’s hittable. Conor’s longer than him. Chandler slows down. You know if he does wrestle heavy to avoid the striking with Conor, he’s going to slow down a bit, and he’ll be more in front of Conor and able to get touched. I would put money on Conor if the fight happens. Not that I can; I can’t bet. I can’t bet MMA,” Poirier said (h/t MMAjunkie.com).
Chandler has been open about his desire to fight McGregor in his comeback, and the Irishman has expressed past interest in fighting the former Bellator lightweight champion as well. At this point in time, McGregor is still on the sidelines while recovering from the broken leg he suffered in the Poirier trilogy match nearly two years ago. However, he is expected to return to the Octagon later this year, and there is certainly a chance that Chandler could be his dance partner. If that’s the case, then it would be interesting to see who would come out on top in a fight between the two veterans.
Do you agree with Dustin Poirier that Conor McGregor would beat Michael Chandler?
