Michael Chandler finds himself in a familiar but frustrating situation. Despite not fighting since 2022, the 38-year-old former Bellator champion has put his career on hold as he awaits his fight with Conor McGregor. The two starred in last year’s season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and were expected to fight in late 2024. That date was pushed to this year, but McGregor’s recent withdrawal due to injury has caused Chandler to waver again
An Interesting Wait for Chandler
After months of uncertainty, the UFC announced that McGregor and Chandler would headline UFC 303 on June 29. However, McGregor pulled out and Chandler continues to wait Despite this setback, financial incentive big possibility for Chandler to keep waiting for McGregor.
McGregor’s Bold Statement
Conor McGregor recently took to Twitter to shed light on Chandler’s earning potential. According to McGregor, Chandler is set to earn ten times the usual paycheck for their fight. McGregor tweeted, “Chandler gets paid 10x what his contract says for other fights. I mean, he’s going to need 10 fights to do what he’s going to do in this one. I am the One”. He continued, “Those who could have fought 2 or 3 turns now, etc. will need turn 10 to even break this check”.
Should Chandler Move On?
Many fans believe Chandler should move on from McGregor and continue his UFC career. At 38, time is not on Chandler’s side, and fans argue he shouldn’t spend too much time waiting for McGregor. However, the potential payday from a fight with McGregor makes waiting a tempting test.
Chandler’s Income Estimate
UFC salaries are notoriously difficult to pin down due to the promotional secrecy surrounding fighter salaries. However, speculation provides some insight. According to MMASalaries.com , Chandler earned $554,000 for his UFC 281 fight against Dustin Poirier. Chandler reportedly earned over $100,000 including salary for his performance against Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 .
If McGregor was to be correct in his allegations, Chandler would have had to take money from his own pocket and settle the amount to about $5 million. There are no income dividend payments or prize prizes with this amount. Chandler is likely to receive the biggest check he is ever going to earn, and this money is all over opponents money.
Higher Levels of Waiting
It is a risky long-game that Chandler decides to play by staying in the cage and not engaging in combat with McGregor. It seems logical and beneficial when considering the financial revenues and possibilities, but the prospect of additional time losses or total cancelations increases. Consequently, McGregor is a warrior with an inclination toward accidents and some legal concerns, so it is not assured that the fight will have the planned course.
Chandler Career Future
This leads to uncertainty about the future of Chandler in the UFC while the man undergoes this period of instability. Besides the monetary gains, the matchup presents a chance at engaging with one of the largest stars in the MMA and aid in the construction of a great fighter’s iconography. However, and this is more so in the current volatile world of careers, his career’s uncertainty is a function with respect to time, the longer he takes the higher the uncertainty.
