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Michael Chandler is 'the only fight that makes sense' for Conor McGregor following UFC 329 nightmare, says Israel Adesanya

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Michael Chandler is 'the only fight that makes sense' for Conor McGregor following UFC 329 nightmare, says Israel Adesanya

If Conor McGregor fulfills the final fight on his UFC deal, Israel Adesanya thinks Michael Chandler is the lone opponent for “Mystic Mac.â€

Things did not go as planned for McGregor in his first pro MMA fight in five years. McGregor made his entrance inside T-Mobile Arena to his usual pomp and circumstance, although some feel even that was a bit diminished from his peak years. Nonetheless, McGregor made his way inside the Octagon for the first time since 2021, and fans were intrigued by which version of the “Notorious†one they would get to see.

The fight ended up going off the rails quickly when McGregor attempted a jumping kick that led to a right knee injury. The bout didn't go on for much longer before referee Mike Beltran saw enough. McGregor's UFC 329 return ended in disaster, and some are questioning if the former two-division champion will ever compete under the UFC banner again.

During the “Precision Podcast,†Adesanya told Demetrious Johnson that the long lost Chandler fight may be the only way McGregor gets back inside the Octagon (h/t MMAFighting).

“I did see [McGregor] when he was sitting down and he looked distraught,†Adesanya said. “He looked like, a lot of weight on him. He kind of picked at his glove for a second, so I thought, ‘Is he going to retire?' I don't think so, but a fight with Max again after a five-year layoff, you're fighting at the top of the heap. You're fighting one of the best to do it. That's a hard fight to come back against.

“I say, if he does decide to come back later on, Chandler would be the only fight that makes sense.â€

McGregor and Chandler were scheduled to collide back in 2024. That plan was derailed after McGregor suffered an injury. Since missing out on the McGregor sweepstakes, Chandler has gone 0-3 and he's been stopped in two of those bouts. Still, Adesanya believes McGregor would be doing the right thing by giving Chandler the fight he was promised.

“He kind of owes Chandler that fight,†Adesanya said. “He honeyd*cked him for for, like, two, three years while Chandler was waiting for the big money fight. So now, after The Ultimate Fighter, after all those times, it would be good for them to kind of settle the score because they even have a little bit of—Not beef, but they've got some heat there. That would be the fight I think he should come back to.â€

McGregor awaits an official diagnosis on his right knee injury. UFC CEO Dana White said that he suspects the top MMA star blew out his ACL.

Do you think Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler could finally happen after the fallout of UFC 329, or has that ship long sailed? Sound off in the comments below.

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MMA

Jorge Masvidal teases ‘big news’ as UFC return talks heat up

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Jorge Masvidal teases ‘big news’ as UFC return talks heat up
Jorge
Masvidal is teasing some “big news†about a potential return to
the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Masvidal recently revealed that he is in talks with the UFC about a
return to the Octagon. “Gamebred†claims negotiations are
progressing positively, with the possibility of a major
announcement soon. The former BMF champ is eyeing a return by the
end of this year or early next year.

Masvidal says negotiations with the UFC are getting closer as
he eyes a fight with Leon Edwards

Masvidal is waiting for the right opponent and payday to be
negotiated for his return. He expressed interest in a matchup
against Leon
Edwards to settle their old rivalry.

“I've been talking to the UFC,†Masvidal told MMA Junkie. “Could be
this year, could be early next year. We've been talking for a
little bit and the numbers are getting closer and closer and better
and better. So, there might be some big news coming soon… Once we
get the right name and the right number attached to that, you'll
see your boy right back here at the T-Mobile Arena. Leon is
definitely somebody that I would like to get back in with and just
close that chapter out.â€

While Masvidal never tasted UFC gold, he remains a fan favorite.
His five-second flying knee knockout of Ben Askren in
2019 remains the fastest knockout in UFC history.

Masvidal's beef with Edwards started shortly before that knockout.
He put Darren Till
to sleep in a huge upset in London, and when he was doing a
post-fight interview backstage, Edwards called him out. Masvidal
calmly walked towards Edwards and blasted him with a four-punch
combo that had “Rocky†bleeding.


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Roman Dolidze on 3rd straight UFC loss: ‘I did not lose my dignity’

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Roman Dolidze on 3rd straight UFC loss: ‘I did not lose my dignity’
Roman
Dolidze is taking his loss to Reinier
de Ridder well.

Dolidze moved back up to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division to
take on Reinier
de Ridder (22-4) at
UFC Sacramento. Dolidze shot for a takedown in the opening
seconds, but de Ridder got the better of the Georgian in the
wrestling exchange. The former One
Championship titleholder then established top control and
landed unanswered ground-and-pound to secure a stoppage in the
opening round.

Dolidze accepts criticism after his first-round loss to Reinier
de Ridder at UFC Sacramento

Dolidze has since released a statement addressing his loss to de
Ridder. He is ready to admit that he let down his fans, especially
from his home country, and acknowledges that failure is a part of
the game.

“Hello. I know you are anxious — I was anxious too,†Dolidze wrote
on Instagram. “But there is one thing I want to tell you: Failure
is nothing to be ashamed of. I know today's battle didn't go well.
I know many had different expectations of me, and I may have let
you down. I am neither afraid to admit this nor do I shy away from
it. I fight on behalf of Georgia, and when I win, your joy is my
joy too. But when I lose—that, too, is part of the sport. No one
enters the UFC with a guaranteed victory; every time, you face
someone who is trying to defeat you.â€

Dolidze is even ready to accept criticism and advice about his
performance.

“You may criticize my fight,†he added. “You might say I made the
wrong decisions or should have performed better; as an athlete, I
accept this and will analyze it. I lost the fight. I did not lose
my country, my dignity, or my path. See you in Georgia on Sept.
19.â€

This was Dolidze's (15-6) third straight defeat. Meanwhile, de
Ridder rebounded from back-to-back losses at middleweight with the
win over Dolidze.

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UFC debutant admits he had no idea how to defend submission: ‘What defense?’

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UFC debutant admits he had no idea how to defend submission: ‘What defense?’
Anthony
Wint survived a kimura in his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut without knowing how to
defend it.

Wint (8-0) made his UFC debut against fellow Octagon debutant
Terrance
Chatman at
UFC Sacramento. A massive favorite going into the fight, Wint
didn't find a takedown as easily as expected. When he finally took
the fight to the ground, Chatman attempted a kimura from bottom.
Wint managed to wrench his hand out of the kimura and choke Chatman
out cold with an arm-triangle late in the first round.

Anthony Wint survived Terrance Chatman's kimura before scoring
a first-round submission at UFC Sacramento

Wint subsequently admitted that he has no idea how to defend a
kimura. “Bow Down†just decided to tough it out against Chatman,
even risking breaking his arm. However, Wint vows to work on his
skills harder, now that he doesn't have to compromise with his time
in training.

“What defense? I didn't know what I was doing,†Wint told Full Send
MMA. “I just said, ‘You're gonna keep cranking it and I'm not gonna
tap. Or you're gonna break my arm.' We got a great coach in
Herbert
Burns. We're gonna work on leg locks and stuff. Because now I
don't have to work. The heavyweight division is in trouble. Because
before, I was training, working and going back to training. Now I
can just train all day.â€

Wint has finished seven of his eight career wins so far. The former
New York Jets linebacker made an 11-day turnaround for his UFC
debut after earning his contract on
Dana White's Contender Series with a 34-second stoppage
win.

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