McGregor's X-Factor: Be Conor McGregor
There has never been a fighter like McGregor in MMA, and there may never be again. Even after going more than four years without a win, he is a bigger star than any other fighter on the roster by a large margin. That kind of mainstream cachet comes with some serious sway, and McGregor is already using it to his advantage.
After forcing Chandler to spend all of 2023 waiting for him to return, he's now challenging the former Bellator champ to fight in a weight class neither of them has ever experienced before. It probably won't happen that way, but there's no question McGregor is the A-side of this matchup and will be in control of nearly everything that happens until the cage door closes.
Chandler seems like a level-headed guy, but the world-famous Irishman has a way of rattling the people he fights, and it's very possible it could happen again this time. If Chandler isn't laser-focused, he risks making mistakes in the fight, and you don't want to do that against McGregor—even in 2024.
Chandler's X-Factor: Fight Like a Purist
Chandler may choose to strike with McGregor, and he can beat the Irishman under those circumstances. However, he has a far clearer path to victory if he chooses to use the other weapons in his arsenal, even at the expense of a potential highlight-reel knockout against the biggest star in MMA history.
McGregor fans are going to hate this, but the simple truth is that Chandler will probably win this matchup if he fights like a wrestling purist. McGregor is not difficult to get to the mat—if Nate Diaz can do it, anyone can—and Chandler is one of the best takedown specialists the Irishman has fought to date.
