Do We Need McGregor Vs. Chandler?

Matt Brown has criticized the idea of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler headlining the UFC White House event next June.

McGregor has claimed that he will face Chandler at the event in June, but the fight has not been officially confirmed by the UFC. While McGregor has been vocal about his interest in headlining the card, McGregor is not certain to appear on the card, despite Dana White being receptive to the idea. The fight with Chandler was originally scheduled for June 2024 at UFC 303, but McGregor was forced to withdraw due to a toe injury. For Brown, McGregor’s long period of inactivity when he last fought in 2021 at UFC 264, means the fight lacks the merit to be the main event for such a big card.

Brown Reacts

“I guess the thing with Conor is it going to draw the interest that we think it would? We would all talk about him fighting but Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor is a completely irrelevant fight. Right? There’s no relevance whatsoever. Does nothing other than I guess sell tickets maybe? But if you’re going the Conor McGregor route, you’re talking about kind of more or less irrelevant fights, you’re going to bring in Ronda Rousey, now you’ve got two irrelevant fights.

“You’re literally just selling because of star power. For us hardcore fans, long-term, hardcore, serious fans, that doesn’t bring any interest to me at all. The fact that Conor got the UFC to where it is. You’ve got to give respect where it’s due. Again, for us, it’s not going to excite me. I don’t care to watch Conor and Chandler fight. It’s not that great to me, honestly,” Brown said 

From a competitive standpoint, a McGregor-Chandler fight is a difficult sell. This perspective is rooted in the fact that McGregor has been inactive since his second loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021. This prolonged period of inactivity has led many to question whether McGregor still has the competitive drive. On the other hand, the argument for a McGregor-Chandler main event is a simple and powerful one: money.

The UFC White House event is not just a fight card; it is a historic, high-profile spectacle designed to attract a new, mainstream audience. McGregor is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, and his presence on the card would bring in a huge amount of media attention. The initial press conference for McGregor-Chandler at UFC 303 sold out in nine minutes before the fight was called off, showing Conor’s star power.