Chael Sonnen is confident Conor McGregor fight at UFC 303, but if you don’t fight, there’s another option michael chandler.
McGregor has apologized for canceling his UFC 303 pre-fight press conference with Chandler, scheduled for Monday at the 3Arena in Dublin. The late cancellation caused speculation that there could be something up with McGregor, despite “The Notorious” ensuring he would return on June 29.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has never backed out of a scheduled fight, so Sonnen has no doubt he will take the fight against Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC).
“A man will live his life by a code, and that code may not align with standard social policies or even laws, but he will adhere to that code at all costs,” Sonnen said on his ESPN show. “Good/Bad” with Daniel Cormier. “One of Conor’s codes is that the show must go on. When he was broken in half in his last fight, and Joe said, ‘I don’t interview injured guys, we need to get you on a stretcher,’ Conor called him over and pulled him to the mat. Joe sat down to do that interview, why? Because we haven’t yet faded to black and rolled the credits, and the show must go on.
“I happened to be with Conor McGregor when José Aldo dropped out and Chad Mendes got stuck. We’re on the ESPN campus doing some media. I was there when Conor answered the call and I couldn’t have cared less about the change of opponent because the show must go on. I just don’t believe it a month in advance, whether due to illness, injury or any other excuse Conor will use. It would change the code that he must, as a human being, fiercely adhere to.”
If for some reason McGregor doesn’t fight at UFC 303, Sonnen suggests Chandler’s challenge Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) for the BMF title. UFC CEO Dana White revealed last Saturday that the next BMF title fight is in the works, but did not provide details.
“But I’ll tell you one thing, there will be no postponement of this fight,” continued Sonnen. “Either they fight on the 29th or we move on. Oh, and by the way, the show is still going on. I believe Conor will star opposite Michael Chandler, I’m very confident in saying that. However, if not, Michael Chandler vs. Max Holloway for BMF is the fight to book.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 303.
