Michael Chandler once stood on the brink of UFC gold. Remember that wild war with Charles Oliveira at UFC 309? He nearly sealed it, but ‘Do Bronx’ walked away with his hands raised. Then came Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314, a fight meant to reignite his title hopes, not douse them as Chandler fell short once more. But as Ilia Topuria now readies himself for a shot at the lightweight crown against Oliveira at UFC 317, Chandler sits on the sidelines, nursing wounds both physical and mental.

Fans expected Islam Makhachev to headline the lightweight division for years. But his shock decision to vacate and move to welterweight cracked the door open for a new king to be crowned. And ‘Iron’ recently confessed he knows how close he came to being the next contender for the 155 lbs. throne!

Michael Chandler reveals a string of bad luck that led to his absence from the lightweight title picture

In a recent conversation with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn on YouTube, Chandler was asked, “Are you surprised this is the way everything played out from Islam not keeping the belt and it being like an interim or something to the fight we ultimately got for the vacant title?”

Chandler replied, “No, I’m not surprised. You know, and I think maybe some of those rumors and stuff maybe played into my decision on why I wanted to fight Paddy. Why I wanted to get back in there.”

It’s not regret you hear in Chandler’s voice. It’s awareness. The loss to Paddy Pimblett was especially brutal. At UFC 314, the 39-year-old got picked apart by the younger, longer fighter before getting finished in the third round. But even before the Octagon doors closed behind them, there were rumblings about Chandler not being at 100%.

His teammate, Jared Gordon, came out and shared that ‘Iron’ didn’t look like his usual self while training, possibly due to a knee issue that he was still recovering from. He confessed in the interview, “The decision to take the fight pretty early was my decision and my decision alone.”

Yet, when talking about missing out on a title shot, Chandler pointed to, “Obviously, if you look at the timing, I should have had a win against Oliveira, I messed that up. I should have had a win against Paddy, I messed that up. I’ve had these great opportunities, and they’ve just slipped through my fingertips. So, if I would have beat Charles, I would be fighting Ilia for the title right now, you know, but this is the way the sport goes.”

Now, as Ilia Topuria gears up to chase greatness against Charles Oliveira, Chandler watches from the outside looking in. Topuria was once slated to fight Makhachev, but the Dagestani star chose a new challenge, Jack Della Maddalena, at welterweight. That left Topuria needing a new dance partner, and Oliveira stepped in.

Michael Chandler? He missed his turn. The question now isn’t just about what went wrong, but what comes next. Because ‘Iron’ recently sent rumbles in the MMA sphere with a bold message for a man who has kept him waiting since 2024!

Chandler hands Conor McGregor a date for their long-awaited clash

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler’s saga has become the biggest rollercoaster for fight fans. Remember when The Ultimate Fighter 31 had the world buzzing? Then came the heartbreak of the UFC 303 debacle, with McGregor pulling out shortly before the fight due to a toe injury. And since then? Nothing but occasional teases and rumors.

However, there are still remnants of hope as Chandler recently wrote on Threads, “Conor!!!!!” and “1/24/26.” A date. A name. A promise? Could this be it? The timing couldn’t be more intriguing. Just weeks earlier, McGregor had taken to Instagram, demanding action. “Call that big b— nurse,” he wrote, tagging Dana White and TKO in a message only he could make viral and possibly signaling his intent to return to the UFC’s testing pool.

McGregor hasn’t fought since that gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in 2021. Chandler, meanwhile, has been through his own crucible. Two years of waiting. Then two tough losses. And with McGregor now hovering back into the picture, Chandler may not be chasing gold next, but he’s still chasing legacy.

So what’s next for ‘Iron’ Mike? A farewell fight drenched in hype? A shot at redemption under the bright lights? Or one final war with the sport’s biggest name? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!