Michael Chandler admits ‘businessman inside him’ wants Conor McGregor to win Dustin Poirier trilogy clash and set up big-money fight if he beats Charles Oliveira at UFC 262
- Michael Chandler takes on Charles Oliveira for lightweight title this weekend
- American is already thinking about first defence should he beat Brazilian
- Winner of Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will fight for the belt next
- Chandler said: ‘The businessman in me wants to fight Conor, of course’
Michael Chandler is already eyeing up a lucrative title showdown with Conor McGregor for the UFC lightweight belt.
Chandler takes on Charles Oliveira for the title vacated by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 262 this weekend.
And the American is already plotting beyond a victory in Houston, salivating at the prospect of a fight with the Irishman, who has to find a way past Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout on July 10.
Michael Chandler is hoping Conor McGregor defeats Dustin Poirier in their July clash
Poirier beat McGregor in January and the Irishman is desperate for revenge in the trilogy
He told TMZ: ‘I want to see Conor come back, man.
‘There’s nothing better than when a guy as big as Conor McGregor falls short, loses and then is able to pull himself back up and win. That’s a huge story, it’s a huge storyline.
‘Obviously the athlete in me wants to fight the winner of it. The businessman wants to fight Conor, of course.
‘But all of it hinges on me having a phenomenal performance on May 15.
Chandler is plotting past Charles Oliveira already but cannot overlook the Brazilian
‘So we take care of business and then we go there on July 10, enjoy a weekend in Vegas and see who my next opponent is.
‘But either way, that’s going to be a good fight and I will be there for sure.’
McGregor started well against Poirier back in January but was compromised by leg kicks and finished in the second round.
Chandler, 35, made a spectacular start to life in the UFC with a KO of Dan Hooker
‘Diamond’ will be gunning for exactly the same outcome while McGregor wants to settle the score for good and tee up another shot at the belt.
The narrative is a compelling one in what are effectively two semi-finals, even though the title is on the line this Saturday night.
No doubt the salesmanship of both McGregor and Chandler would make for a dream showdown for the UFC and draw a huge number of pay-per-view buys but both men must first ensure victory before those plans can come to fruition.