UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier reckons Conor McGregor is deliberately portraying the antagonist in the current scenario involving Michael Chandler.
On New Year’s Eve, McGregor shared a video on social media announcing his UFC comeback scheduled for June during International Fight Week against Chandler. Moreover, the Irishman mentioned that the fight would occur in the middleweight category, a weight division neither fighter has previously competed in.
Cormier, an enduring enthusiast of professional wrestling, perceives this as a traditional protagonist versus antagonist setup, suggesting that McGregor is entirely embracing the role of the villain.
“Why is he saying 185? Well, you got to watch the video, and you hear the laugh at the end, ” Cormier explained in a video on his YouTube channel. “It’s like Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers shows. You remember Dr. Evil would make these little jokes and he would laugh and put his finger in his face? Because he knew he was being bad. That’s what McGregor is doing.
“McGregor is being bad. McGregor is playing the game. McGregor is being the villain right now. Because the villain manipulates. The villain pulls the strings, the villain is the puppet master. The villain makes you move to his music, the villain makes you move to his rhythm.”
Ever since Chandler joined the UFC in 2021, he swiftly rose to become one of the most favoured fighters in the promotion owing to his fighting technique, all the while radiating cheerful positivity. McGregor has also demonstrated a similar approach on occasions, yet he has also displayed a readiness to accept and engage with the contrasting aspects of his persona.
“McGregor is being the villain, and you know why? Because Michael Chander is a good guy,” Cormier said. “Michael Chandler refuses to play the bad guy. Even if at times playing the bad guy would play to his benefit. He should have played the bad guy a little bit in this situation with McGregor and said, ‘F’ off. I’m done with you. F*ck you.’ … I believe if he would have said ‘to hell with it,’ McGregor would have come back a little sooner.”
Chandler has not fought since November 2022. He was a coach against McGregor on “The Ultimate Fighter 31,” which got things moving for a bout with the former two-division champion. McGregor has been out of action since fracturing his leg in a trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
The UFC hasn't formally confirmed McGregor’s comeback, but if the fight eventually materialises, Cormier thinks the wait will pay off for Chandler. He could potentially earn the largest payday of his fighting career.