Michael Chandler is not mad at Conor McGregor for interrupting his UFC career

LAS VEGAS – Michael Chandler has been through a lot in recent years, but he remains completely positive, even if things have not turned out the way he wanted.

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC), a former Bellator champion and current top UFC contender, will soon be away from the sport for two years due to delays and postponements of a fight with Conor McGregor that never materialized.

Chandler was always ready to fight and continued to train for the fight against the Irish superstar, but in the end he had to pull out and now has a rematch against Charles Oliveira in November at UFC 309.

Despite spending nearly two crucial years of his prime waiting on the sidelines for McGregor, Chandler bears no grudge against him.

“No, I'm not going to let another man control my emotions and control my life,” Chandler told reporters at UFC 306. “It's been a crazy up and down for the last year and a half. You see how he lives his life, you see the tweets, you see the media machine and the constant attention that Conor gets. And me, the guy on the other side, I'm just naturally a quieter guy when it comes to not constantly being in the headlines and not constantly being talked about.

“I'm not mad at him at all. I wish Conor the best. He's earned every right to be in the position he's in. He's earned every right to do what he wants to do and act the way he wants to act.”

While some doubt McGregor will ever fight again, Chandler is confident that McGregor will not only return, but will be welcomed back into the UFC to face him.

“Conor McGregor is not out of the woods yet,” Chandler said. “Conor McGregor's road back to the UFC still goes through Nashville, Tennessee, and Michael Chandler. We have to finish TUF 31. It has to happen. We are in the same weight class. The buildup has taken too long for it not to happen.”

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.