As for Cejudo, the former flyweight and bantamweight champion snapped a three year hiatus from the sport back in May, suffering a close, split decision defeat to reigning bantamweight best, Aljamain Sterling.Despite finding himself tied to a fight with former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler all year, former UFC champion, Conor McGregor has been tipped to abandon the matchup in pursuit of a bigger name, according to ex-champion, Henry Cejudo.In his last outing, Chandler suffered a third round rear-naked choke submission defeat to common-foe, Poirier as the two squared off at UFC 281 in November of last year at Madison Square Garden.However, despite the fact Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler have been tied to a potential December fight at the welterweight limit all year, Cejudo laid out a scenario in which the former actually abandons a fight with Chandler for his return.
Conor McGregor backed to turn down Michael Chandler fight
McGregor a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the banner of the UFC, has been sidelined since he headlined a July 2021 event against Dustin Poirier, fracturing his left tibia and fibula – resulting in a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss. Without a victory since UFC 246 back in January of 2020, McGregor most recently landed a 40-second high kick and strikes stoppage win over incoming UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone.
“I could see them skipping (Michael) Chandler,” Henry Cejudo told The Schmo during a recent interview. “I could see Conor (McGregor) just saying, ‘Hey, I’m gonna want this guy’. Chandler’s entertaining, but he’s not a big name. There’s no UFC belt, around him. He’s not a legend in the UFC. He’s an entertainment of the UFC, but he hasn’t got there yet.”
