Prediction for the fight Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler

Without exaggeration, the legendary fighting arena - T-Mobile in Las Vegas, on June 30 will host a fight that perfectly matches the atmosphere of this place. UFC 303 will feature a fight between “The Notorious” Conor McGregor and “Iron” Michael Chandler as the main event. The Irish mixed martial arts superstar will step onto the canvas for the first time in three years to prove to everyone and himself that he can still compete at the highest level. Will Mac be able to live up to all the hype that has once again appeared around him?

• Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler;
• Conor McGregor;
• Michael Chandler;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler

Conor McGregor

Conor, for obvious reasons, is not included in the official lightweight rankings. Here is a former dual UFC champion who held the featherweight and lightweight belts, a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and a Cage Warriors champion in the same divisions. Exactly ten times McGregor took bonuses, giving epic knockouts and dominant performances, and the Irishman has been doing this since back in 2008.

Strengths

Conor has a truly unique sense of distance and timing that allowed him to break down his opposition's defenses. His counter-left, uppercut, kicks and movements around the octagon are combined into one effective attacking system, due to which he not only failed his opponents and punished them, but also worked well as the first number. And the speed at which “Notorius” can fly out his hands will be the envy of many.

Weaknesses

In recent years, there have been many questions about McGregor's stamina. He showed himself great in the duology with Nate Diaz, but after that he quickly kicked out, completely losing mobility and sagging in defense. Now, to this will be added the prohibitive downtime and additional muscle mass he gained during rest, which will definitely negatively affect the ex-champion’s motor.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Very soon Conor will turn 36 years old, which is quite impressive for a lightweight, especially taking into account his long vacation. Being in more satisfactory shape, Mack lost twice to Dustin Poirier, didn't feel Donald Cerrone, and survived a tough fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Before that, he looked impeccable, but now there are doubts about the Irishman’s readiness to return: injury, bad habits, lack of competitive process - all this will affect him in any case. Although the fighter himself assures that he is in excellent condition and mental state.

Michael Chandler

“Iron” is on the 6th line of the rating. In the past, Michael was a medalist at the Missouri State Championship in freestyle wrestling, was on the university team, and after his debut in MMA, he became the Bellator champion three times, won the lightweight tournament, taking the title of the organization's most dangerous finisher. Having collected all the trophies in Bellator, he moved to the UFC, where he already staged the “Fight of the Year” and amassed a collection of bonuses for himself, becoming one of the public’s favorites.

Strengths

Despite his age and experience, Chandler does not know how to conduct tactical fights. He presses all the time, throws heavy punches and strives to end the fight early. Michael has a knockout punch, kicks well, and also feels confident on the ground, although he has long since retrained as a striker. Nevertheless, he can afford to make an amplitude throw - there is more than enough physical power there. And all these advantages of an athlete are complemented by inhuman durability, because knocking him out is still a problem.

Weaknesses

Chandler's problem is that he rarely follows any clear game plan and doesn't want to win on points. During his attacks, “Iron” does not think much about defense, which is why he receives colossal damage, and with age, this tendency does not bring any “benefits” to the body, quite the opposite. And, of course, it should be noted that Michael is not developing at all as a wrestler, which could help him win with minimal damage to himself.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Chandler is 38 years old, and his statistics speak for themselves: 3 defeats in 5 fights, but with what monsters. Michael lost to Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje, all of whom caused huge problems. Tony Ferguson and Dan Hooker fell victim to it, but the entire run resulted in a long layoff (he hasn't fought since November 2022) due to the anticipation of Conor McGregor. Previously received damage, multiplied by the lack of fights, may well cause rust to appear, while Chandler has more than enough motivation to beat Mac.

Comparative analysis

Conor, as the favorite, outperforms his counterpart in terms of anthropometry: a couple of centimeters in height, and also 6 centimeters in arm span. For a striker of McGregor’s caliber, this is a significant advantage, but what’s more important is that neither he nor Michael need to invent anything new to win. If Chandler decides to play the distance with McGregor without using his pressure and powerful combinations, it is likely that “The Notorious” will seize the opportunity and get him with his left.

And if Mack goes forward, forcing exchanges on the American, nothing good awaits him either, because in the fight, “Iron” has already seen everything. Michael must put pressure, survive after missed shots, and impose on McGregor a high tempo of the fight, with jagged timings and stable damage, then it is quite possible to achieve victory by driving the former champion. And the Irishman’s task is to counter the attacks of the blockhead, hoping that the same left one towards him will be able to penetrate the opponent’s armor.

Considering we're talking about 5 rounds, there's virtually no chance the guys will go the distance. Conor simply doesn’t have enough cardio for this, and Michael is unlikely to be so healthy that, in the event of a successful game plan for his counterpart, he can survive at least 3 rounds of total beating. It is much more likely that, due to personal animosity, they will charge for a blow and start a massacre, where the chances for both are absolutely equal - a couple of rounds is definitely enough for one of the guys to be knocked out.

Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler Prediction

Regarding this fight, there is a strong feeling that it will not last long. In training, Conor shows excellent power in his punches, and it is unlikely that he will suddenly become a pacer who shoots his opponent at a distance. And Michael never tried to collect points, simply going for a knockout from the first seconds. That is why in this fight it is quite appropriate to bet on the duration of the fight, and 7.5 minutes will be enough for both to finish the match with a beautiful finish (Total less (1.5) for rounds - 2.52). It’s difficult to talk about a specific winner here: both, after a break, are fighting at 77 kg, and even at a distance of 5 rounds. In what form they will approach the battle remains a mystery, but the early end of this duel is more than obvious. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Total less (1.5) for completed rounds