Chandler makes bold remark about fight against McGregor

Michael Chandler believes his fight against UFC star Conor McGregor later this year can sell upwards of two million pay-per-view purchases.

Following their coaching matchup on The Ultimate Fighter season 31 against each other, Chandler will take on the former two-weight champion McGregor.

Chandler and McGregor are anticipated to fight in the cage shortly after the reality TV programme for the UFC has finished filming later this month and will air from May through August.

The Irishman has participated in each of the top five most popular UFC events ever, and Chandler is certain that their bout will be a tremendous hit on pay-per-view.

"If you look at the numbers, I think two million [buys], it’s not just a possibility, I think it’s very achievable and very attainable. It’s hard for me to toot my own horn, but I think what I’ve created is a level of intrigue and mystique that when I show up on fight night and that cage door closes, all hell breaks loose and my foot is on the gas," Chandler said on The MMA Hour.

"I haven’t seen a brake pedal at all since I signed with the organisation. Honestly, since I started fighting. It’s just continued to build and build and build. So you look at why this fight got made, Conor knows it’s going to do big numbers. Everybody is tuning in. Everybody is buying the pay-per-view for that night, that moment, that opportunity."

With 2.4 million buys, McGregor's defeat against fierce rival Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018 presently holds the record for the most popular pay-per-view in UFC history.

With 1.8 million sales, the trilogy bout between the Irishman and Poirier in July 2021 comes in at number two.

However, McGregor might have to wait six months despite announcing a UFC comeback match with Chandler.

McGregor was informed around the end of last year that he would have to wait up to six months after registering in the USADA drug-testing pool before he could compete once more.

The organisation has confirmed that he has not yet registered for the pool, thus the final battle between the two coaches may not occur until August.

"As we’ve confirmed before, as of today, Conor McGregor has not been reenrolled in the USADA testing pool, which he would have to be in for a minimum of six months and have at least two negative tests prior to any competition," USADA said in a statement to MMA Fighting.

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