MMA veteran Dan Hardy criticizes Conor McGregor’s proposal to face Michael Chandler at middleweight in his UFC return. Hardy argues that McGregor’s best version was at lightweight and fighting at 185lbs would result in major fatigue. Read more about the controversy.
| Dan Hardy criticizes Conor McGregor’s proposal to face Michael Chandler at middleweight
| McGregor suggests the fight could be at 185lbs
| Hardy argues that McGregor’s best version was at lightweight
| Chandler believes McGregor wants to establish dominance
| Chandler confident and doesn’t have an ego
MMA veteran Dan Hardy isn’t a fan of the proposal that Conor McGregor should face Michael Chandler at middleweight in his UFC return later this year. Both during season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter and in the months since its finale, Conor McGregor has suggested that his return fight against Michael Chandler will take place in the middleweight division. Speaking via the MMACrazy YouTube channel, UFC legend Dan Hardy argued that “Goldilocks McGregor was [at] lightweight” and that a 185lb clash with Chandler would result in major fatigue on both sides after just a few minutes. According to Michael Chandler, the speculation surrounding the weight class is all because McGregor “wants to establish dominance” over the contractual terms, since he originally called out the former double champ at welterweight.
Dan Hardy Criticizes Conor McGregor’s Middleweight Proposal
MMA veteran Dan Hardy isn’t a fan of the proposal that Conor McGregor should face Michael Chandler at middleweight in his UFC return later this year. Both during season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter and in the months since its finale, Conor McGregor has suggested that his return fight against Michael Chandler will take place in the middleweight division.
Speaking via the MMACrazy YouTube channel, UFC legend Dan Hardy argued that “Goldilocks McGregor was [at] lightweight” and that a 185lb clash with Chandler would result in major fatigue on both sides after just a few minutes.
Whilst most UFC fans have been expecting Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler to take place at welterweight, the Irishman has previously suggested that the fight could also be moved up to 185lbs. Taking to social media on New Year’s Eve, McGregor called his shot: “I’d like to announce the return date for myself…The greatest comeback of all time will take place in Las Vegas for International Fight Week on June 29th…and the opponent, Michael Chandler, and the weight for Mr Chandler, 185 pounds.”
It would be the fourth weight class that ‘Notorious’ has competed in the UFC, but not everyone is convinced that a heavier McGregor is necessarily a more dangerous McGregor, including veteran athlete-turned-commentator Dan Hardy.
Hardy, who has closely followed McGregor’s career since his early days in Cage Warriors, is vehemently opposed to this middleweight proposal and speaking via the MMACrazy YouTube channel, said that McGregor at 185lbs “doesn’t excite me nearly as much.”
“McGregor back in Mixed Martial Arts is good for everybody…I don’t like the idea of him fighting at middleweight if that’s where the fight is going to be held because I feel like the best version of McGregor, the Goldilocks McGregor was [at] lightweight.”
Hardy went on to say that McGregor previously “looked a bit slow” at welterweight and that the added 15lbs would result in both the Irishman and Chandler becoming fatigued extremely quickly.
According to Michael Chandler, the speculation surrounding the weight class is all because McGregor “wants to establish dominance” over the contractual terms, since he originally called out the former double champ at welterweight: “In his mind, he can’t fight at 170 [pounds], because I called him out at 170…He had to say 185…He always wants to establish dominance, to make people think that I am less than him, and that’s fine.”
“I’ll take that all day long, because I’m confident in myself, and I don’t have an ego,” he told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
