In a recent interview, UFC welterweight contender Michael Chandler expressed skepticism about Conor McGregor’s physical size, challenging the authenticity of the Irishman’s beefed-up images circulating on social media. Chandler, anticipating a highly anticipated fight against McGregor in his UFC comeback next year, voiced his observations on the perceived disparity between McGregor’s online persona and his real-life appearance.
McGregor, who has been on the sidelines since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, has undergone a visible transformation, adding muscle to his frame in preparation for his expected return to the octagon against Chandler. However, Chandler, who has been eagerly awaiting an official announcement for their clash, believes McGregor’s online presence may exaggerate his size.
During an appearance on the Steve-O’s Wild Ride podcast, Chandler shared his perspective, stating, “Conor likes to act like he’s in control, so he could have said he wants to fight at 205lb, and I would have been like, ‘Okay. I’ll fight you wherever, dude.’ Truly, I’m bigger than Conor. He’s not that big at all.”
Chandler continued to dissect McGregor’s physique, attributing the perceived size difference to camera angles, lighting, and photography techniques used in McGregor’s social media posts. “He looks big, he’s got really great angles and really great camera photography work and lighting in all of his photos and stuff,” Chandler remarked.
In a strategic move, Chandler had initially called for a fight at 170lb, anticipating McGregor’s bulkier appearance. “I said I wanted to fight him at 170lb because he was so big and he was so beefy… he was really, really big, so I was like, ‘Okay, there’s no way he’s going to fight at 155lb,'” Chandler explained.
Despite McGregor’s recent training footage showcasing dedication to his comeback, Chandler remains skeptical about the legitimacy of the clips. “He looks like he’s training a lot. Whether he’s training just for those 15 seconds and puts out a clip or he’s training for hours, he looks like he’s training and he’s getting in better shape so I don’t know what the holdup is, Conor,” Chandler added.
As the anticipation for their potential clash builds, Michael Chandler’s insights into Conor McGregor’s physique add an intriguing dimension to the narrative surrounding this potential UFC matchup.