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what’s up guys Brett okono from ESPN joined by UFC lightweight maybe middleweight Michael Chandler who got an interesting start off to his 2024 Conor McGregor uh jumping on social media and saying the fight is happening June 29th so let’s hear it from the other side of the fight the man himself Michael Chandler are we going to see the greatest comeback in sports history on June 29th in Las Vegas Nevada well I don’t know if I’d call it the greatest comeback in uh Sports history uh but yeah I mean as of right now yeah June 29th is the date and uh we are are preparing for it so um man like you said it was a good start to the New Year obviously this is something that’s been a year in the making now after the ultimate fighter and uh here we go International fight week June 29th let’s go so you say June 29th is a date what does that mean what what does that mean that the June 29th is a day like we we got a signed contract on the line like is it official the UFC has been kind of loudly quiet about this you know Dana White has not come out and confirmed it um what does it mean that that’s the date June 29th yeah I mean obviously the UFC is uh you know the UFC is doing it how how they are doing it how they do it and obviously we all know it’s never 100% officially confirmed until number one we we actually stepped in the Octagon but before that and when the UFC comes out with it but obviously my team has been in touch with the UFC and uh yeah June 29th is what I’m preparing for I’m leaving my family here in the next couple weeks to head down to Florida to get into fight Camp the fight camp that has been looming now for a year um and yeah June 29th we take this dude’s head off it’s only January AR 4th man you’re going to leave the family and head to Florida you training for this thing for six months no I me in 60 days in 60 days we will be almost within three months of it so obviously having a year off having a year quote unquote off and not being in any training camps this Camp’s going to be a little bit longer than it than it has been a little bit modified down in Florida back and forth um a little bit more until I get down into actual fight camp for 12 weeks out um but yeah I I can’t be away from my team down in Florida Much Anymore obviously with this fight being uh set now so I’ll uh I’ll do a week or so in January a week or so in February week or so in March and then all of April May and June I’m I’m there in uh in Florida you know Connor had teased this announcement he said you know on New Year’s Day I will announce my opponent and my return date and all that so when you saw that like what were you anticipating from him did you know what he was going to say in this in this video uh I mean I uh I had an idea but you never quite know is it going to be another troll job is it going to be another uh you know Conor the center of attention deal is it going to be silence is he going to what tactic is he G to use again to uh keep everybody on the edge of their seats you know not just me obviously he’s been he’s done a lot of things over the last year or so that was directly intended for me to hear and directly intended for my my team to hear um that everybody ran with and uh you know I’ve I have a way of of doing things um obviously keeping quiet is one of them not letting things bother me is one of them he we spent five weeks together he couldn’t really get under my skin I think he realizes that so he’s trying more and more to do all kinds of things over the last year so you never quite know what you’re going to get with this dude um but I knew I do know what I’m gonna get uh June 29th and that’s a w so I’m excited about it right now sitting here in your car and obviously you know you said you’re G to go down to Florida and and kind of ramp things up with your team what is your percent confidence that this fight does happen on June 29th and that’s even if you know you get a signed contract and and everything’s a go like that he can get to the fight etc etc like will you you truly believe this fight is going to happen like until you’re standing in the Octagon looking at him is it one of those scenarios or like what percent confidence level do you have that this fight you will be fighting Conor McGregor on June 29th I have 100% confidence that I’m fighting Conor McGregor June 29th now with that being said like I like I said whether it’s Connor or anybody it’s a crazy sport injuries happen sicknesses happen um the fight isn’t actually happening until both of us are in the cage and Bruce Buffer starts announcing us right um or that that Bell Rings um now with Connor one thing I will give him credit for go back in his entire career when he says he’s going to come to a fight and be at a fight has he ever pulled out of a fight has it has the opponent ever switched on his Accord it’s always been someone else someone else has pulled out of a fight you people can say what they want about Connor and I I have no problem giving the man his props he does he does what he says he’s going to do when it comes to who he’s fighting where he’s fighting when he’s fighting what what weight he’s fighting um and all the different stipulations around things so that’s one thing that I have 100% confidence in and that is one thing that I will tip my hat to him on man June 29th International fight week the uh you know like you said the greatest comeback in sports history he calls it let’s uh let’s see how he fars we don’t have to spend a whole lot of time talking about this but uh obviously International fight week big week in the sport it always is um it’s it’s kind of earmarked for big fights um but UFC 300 was also an obvious one and I think a lot of us were kind of sitting around thinking like is this fight gonna happen at UFC 300 what were the conversations like about UFC 300 and ultimately why don’t you think it happened on UFC 300 you know I uh I don’t know I mean I can be honest and say man and and you I’ve been on record saying this I’m the type of guy that my home is the gym I’m in the gym that’s where my job is my job is obviously fighting in the Octagon that’s where I my paycheck but my job is being in the gym being trained being mentally prepared so focused on what I can control whether the UFC and Connor and all these different dates and then you had the usada stuff and all all of the different stuff that is surrounded all of this um thing that we call Conor’s comeback and after the ultimate fighter and all that different stuff all of that stuff is out of my control so I’ve done a very good job of I’m not going to call up Dana every week and say hey any update I’m not going to call up Hunter every week hey any update they know know that I’m staying ready they know that I’m doing my job and they know I’m also focused on not just fighting luckily for them I don’t have to call them for a paycheck every three months because I’m doing things outside of just fighting in a in a cage for a living I have other skills um and I have other things that I’m doing so I’ve had a very fruitful year um and I can tell you obviously UFC 300 was always talked about you know when it wasn’t December of course you think about okay what’s the next big date you talk about UFC 300 makes a lot of sense right um but if not that June 29th International fight week sure makes a lot of sense too I mean it’s a it’s a big big fight against two two guys that people want to see fight people want to see me come back people definitely are interested in how he’s going to come back and uh we get to do it let’s go so the other big component about this announcement of course is the weight Mr Chandler is at 185 pounds followed by a a bond super villain laugh what do you make of this 185 and ultimately do you think it’s going to take place in 185 uh ultimately um I’m 50-50 on it you know and It ultimately it doesn’t matter I mean I spent five weeks around Connor um I don’t care whether he wants to fight at 185 170 205 whatever it might be you got to remember he doesn’t want to fight 155 because he wants everybody to believe that he’s bigger than he is he can’t fight at one or he in his mind can’t fight at 170 because I called him out at 170 therefore I’m not doing as I told he’s doing he’s doing what I said at 170 so he had to say 185 just like he did in the intro uh scene of The Ultimate Fighter telling me it was going to be at 185 I don’t give a rip about what the weight is um I’m able to fluctuate my weight I don’t need to bulk up to make 185 185 would be uh easy and fun to make so um the UFC and Connor can uh fix you know kind of figure that out and then let me let me know what what they’re thinking and I can uh have an opinion on it but as of right now I could I could care less about the weight the date and the opponent was all that matters and why do you think he says he wants it at 185 just to up you just to like kind of make it be make it seem like you do what you’re told or is there some sort of strategic or Reason other type of reason that he would want it at 185 yeah I mean I think both of those things I think a number one he always wants to establish dominance whether it be via social media whether it be you know the media with uh what he’s saying and what he’s doing and he also wants to try to establish dominance uh to make people think that I am less than him and that’s that’s fine I’ll take that I’ll take that all day long cuz I’m confident in myself I don’t have an ego I’m ready to fight and I’m ready to take this dude’s head off so that’s definitely a component and then yeah I mean obviously the uh the weight you know fighting at 185 makes him look bigger sound bigger feel bigger that’s what Connor does he’s done nothing his entire career but try to pump himself up both in person by the way he walks his stature um maybe riser’s in his shoes I don’t know but you know he he does he does things to constantly make himself look sound and feel bigger because that’s the the Persona that he has tried to create so um I think that’s all a component of it either way man you got to keep the main thing the main thing and for me obviously stepping inside that cage and and and fighting him is uh what I’ve been focused on and that’s why I haven’t changed courses whatsoever I’m a man of my word and uh we get to do it I know you’re I mean you you say you don’t have an ego but you’re also you’re a proud guy Michael and you’re a competitive guy and I know you see these things that it’s like anytime there’s a video go up or social media post there are fans that then um you know parit that line that he says that you you’ll do what you’re told like Michael Chandler does what he’s told and even like your buddy and fellow wrestler DC was giving you crap the other day of like hey man at some point you know don’t you got to like stand up for yourself and there are going to and Connor will probably make this a a point in the pre-fight talk of like you’ll sit around and wait for this fight as long as I tell you to like is that starting to get annoying to you and like do you think that that’s going to be something that you have to deal with in the build to this fight like like that sort of part of it what kind of impact is that having on you yeah definitely something I have to have to uh definitely something that I have to deal with and definitely something that I’ve I’ve heard from people and even surprisingly heard from certain people um but also I have no problem uh with what people say I have no problem with people’s opinions everybody’s got an opinion and who cares you’ll never get to where you’re going if you try to throw rocks at every single dog that barks along the way right so I could care less um I’ve heard enough I’ve heard enough and I’ve been in the loop enough with the UFC my team myself with the UFC since February when The Ultimate Fighter um got that since the ultimate fighter got announced and then started in uh mid-February whatever it was right I’ve heard enough weekly to know that this fight was going to happen and it was going to be Chandler versus McGregor the entire time I don’t need to be going out and seeking interviews to remind everybody hey guys stop telling me that this fight isn’t going to happen because it is going to happen I don’t need to do that because I also don’t care what people think so um has it gotten a little bit annoying of course I am human I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m not but um yeah man it’s all a part of it it’s all a part of the game Connor will use it and uh I’ll take that quote unquote backseat to him the entire time and if he think if he thinks he’s taking a he’s taken a fight against a lesser man then so be it he’ll he’ll find out on June 29th I’m really interested just from a fight perspective a competitive perspective like your answer to this he had a Mystique about him coming up like he was he was something like the sport had kind of never felt before and and you saw the effect that that had on his opponents like it’s undeniable like he had an impact on Jose Alo he had an impact on Eddie Alvarez you know I mean and I I Eddie did some Eddie has done amazing things in this Sport and he’s been in the spotlight but like being in New York and having Connor show up real late I mean it’s just like those things got under the skin of his opponents and then that Mystique kind of went away you know with Nate Diaz and Dustin porier how you’ve always given Connor credit as a great fighter but how much of a weapon was that like how much was his success due to the fact that he had beat his opponents mentally before they even stepped in like yes of course he’s great fighter with great skills but how much was that worth that component that mental component yeah no I think it’s actually unfortunate for him because he won’t get the credit that he deserves for how good of a fighter he was back in his back then when he was absolutely surgically dismantling people because people thought that he got the title shot because of his mouth he got the great fights because of his mouth and then he you know he used the war of words and getting people so out of their own element that he didn’t fight the best versions of Eddie Alvarez and Cerrone and these guys but look at Dustin porier a real fighter a mentally tough man look at look at Diaz a real fighter a mentally tough man these dudes didn’t care about that stuff because once the once that Bell Rings it’s over we’re going and it doesn’t matter um that being said Conor SK SK set I don’t think it’s where it used to be I don’t think Conor is as scary as he used to be back in those days um that’s just my personal opinion and I also don’t care if it’s Connor or anybody else I’m not seeing Conor McGregor I’m seeing a head two arms and two legs and a guy about my size so um either way I’ve always just focused on dismantling whatever was in front of me no matter what the name was and uh yeah I mean I’m I’m interested to hear how it goes over these next couple months and how I feel and I’m interested to be in that fire because I’ve never shied away from a challenge I’ve never shied away from throwing myself into the deep water to find out how I how I come out on the other side so uh it’s going to be fun but I got to I got a sneaky suspicion I knocked this dude out within the first two rounds uh sometimes in this sport we see some instances where um like a fighter will just contact another fighter directly like an opponent that he’s going to have like they’ll just slide into the guy’s DMS and be like hey make sure you show up on this date or whatever have you ever felt compelled especially now that you’ve spent time with Connor so you actually kind of know him to actually try to reach out to him directly in all of this no I haven’t um I mean I think it’s not that it’s you know not that it’s uncalled for not that it’s uh you know Uncharted Territory but it’s just not something I would feel the need to do you know I I don’t think uh because because for me honestly um all that stuff is just noise man all that really matters is that 25 minutes Inside the Cage 15 minutes Inside the Cage no matter how many rounds it is right that’s all that matters um and he’s done a good job of building this thing outside of you know the the pr in the the uh marketing and the the Mystique of everything that fully encompasses the Conor McGregor right instead of just the fighting um for me I focused on the fighting the main thing um so we’ll see though I’m not saying we won’t be uh exchanging some DMS here in the next uh couple months so we’ll see I got two more questions for you one is do you think he’ll be the last person that Conor McGregor ever fights I do I I think I’ll be the last per I think I think he’s lost fights um but I think we haven’t really seen him be dominated he was getting beat by porier and then obviously had the injury he got beat by porier you know the first time obviously um but I think I dominate him in a fashion that it’s almost as if he can keep trying to come back but he he will have lost the fans interest um so much more after what after I do what I’m GNA do to him on June 29th and then last thing is um obviously you’ve you’ve had a long career and you had a long wrestling career before that know when I’m talking about Eddie Alvarez I mean that’s that goes back to your history with Eddie Alvarez and when you fight Conor McGregor on June 29th it it is worth a lot of money it it is a great opportunity in terms of setting yourself up for future opportunities will there be some level of satisfaction and when you say you you think you’re going to knock this guy unconscious will there be some sort of personal level of satisfaction doing it to him personally has it reached that point to you like when you compare it to some of the other instances in your fighting career and your wrestling career like has it has it reached that level or is it still just a guy to you at this point no no there’s definitely a certain certain aspect of that uh Revenge aspect make him pay for the last year you know some of it was outside of his control but some of it a lot of it he created I knew what I signed up for I knew I I knew I signed up to do The Ultimate Fighter against a guy who was coming back from a devastating leg injury and it could have been you know delayed um but I didn’t think it would be delayed this long and all of that is going is just uh is just uh deposits in the Bank of me just wanting to absolutely smash this dude um now I I want to stay with him myself I don’t need to get emotional about it and uh fight outside of myself but there will be an extra hint of satisfaction of I think ending this guy’s career I think um doing something on the biggest stage I could have asked for the stage I’ve been asking for and looking forward to since we signed on the on the doted line for the ultimate fighter and uh yeah man it’s been a great career and uh I still got a lot of gas left in the tank even after this so I’m ready to ready to dismantle this guy and then see what’s next hopefully the title well it’s a funny thing man because I you know Common Sense would say like oh you guys do the reality show and then you want the fight to happen as soon as possible after the reality show because that’s when the buzz is hot but actually this weight I know it’s been crappy for you at times but it kind of has built the fight into sort of this different thing that that he’s he’s like he’s been like well is he gonna is he gonna even take the fight at all and you know he’s talking about other things and so the buildup to it is actually I think made it kind of bigger than if it would have happened right after the reality show so um yeah I can’t wait for it dude I know that I’m speaking for a lot of people I know a lot of people have already looking forward to the summer and I think it’s going to take the Sports World um the sports world is going to stop and take a watch at and take a look at it this summer so thanks for hopping in your car and doing this quick interview and I’m sure we’ll talk again about the fight in the months to come dude but until then take care yes sir appreciate it man see you at the [Applause] [Music] top