Although the odds are reasonably even, with McGregor at -115 and Chandler at -105, a fighting expert has weighed in with two reasons why McGregor will come out on top.

Why Conor McGregor Will Beat Michael Chandler

Dan Hardy has named two reasons why it’ll be the Irishman that has his arm raised

MMA analyst and former fighter Dan Hardy took to ‘The MMA Hour’ to voice his support for McGregor, noting the Irishman’s ability to do “very special things in very tense and high-pressure moments in his career.”

Hardy backed this up by noting McGregor’s wins over Diego Brandao and his 13-second demolition of Jose Aldo. Essentially, McGregor has proven time and time again that he can get the job done in emphatic fashion when it matters most.

McGregor’s ability to dictate the range of the fight was focused on by Hardy, saying: “That’s not something that you lose by hanging out on a yacht and enjoying your life. I still feel like he’s got that refinement in his game.”

The second reason Hardy cited that gives McGregor the edge in this bout is the fact that Chandler has been shown to be more reckless since his move to the UFC. The American has three losses and two wins on his UFC record, which Hardy has interpreted as being indicative of not being able to grind results out when on the back foot.

Hardy compared this to Chandler’s time as a Bellator fighter, where he won the lightweight championship three times. On his way to these victories, he managed to best the likes of Patricky Pitbull and Benson Henderson, who are no slouches when met in the Octagon.

“Michael Chandler’s not the guy who he was in Bellator when he was cautious and picking his shots,” he said.

“If he plays the game that he did against, say, Sidney Outlaw, where he was poised and ready and waiting to land that clean shot, then that Chandler can beat anybody with that speed off the mark and that power. But he’s become a lot more reckless recently and that just plays into McGregor’s game.”

“McGregor made Aldo reckless and then punished him for it. Chandler comes in reckless. He’s coming in for a payday and a show. He’s not thinking, ‘Right, I’m going to beat Conor McGregor, and I’m going to do it in this particular way.’ He’s coming to fight.”

McGregor is not the bookies’ favourite because of his busy schedule and inactivity. He has been tied up in Hollywood and business endeavours, and has not fought since July 2021, when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier. Chandler, on the other hand, has taken to the Octagon far more recently, in November 2022.

McGregor is somewhat of an unknown entity after his absence from the cage, although it would be very surprising if he has lost any of the edge that has characterised his UFC career thus far. Chandler cannot afford to switch off or be reckless in this bout if he wants a chance of besting the Irishman at UFC 303 in June.