Conor McGregor claims he could fight Michael Chandler in old-school format UFC has not seen in over 10 years
CONOR McGREGOR wants to make his UFC return over three rounds – breaking a tradition over ten years old.
The Irish icon claimed he is set to make his anticipated comeback in the summer – expected to be against Michael Chandler.
It will be his first fight since July 2021 when he brutally broke his leg.
So with approaching three years out the cage, McGregor admitted the regular five-round main-event demand could be too much.
He said on The MMA Hour: “Rounds. Maybe I might say to them, ‘Look I’m just doing three rounds lads, for this one’.
“And I just want to just wet my beak. I can do three rounds really nicely now. Rather than pushing through to get to five.
“I feel if I push right now to get to give full fitness rounds, I feel the first three rounds wouldn’t be as sharp as I could get them.
“So I’d rather sharpen the blade of three and go in nice and sharp. Get the feel, get the fight.
“Chandler is going to come for it, Chandler’s going to try engage and come at me, he’s going to have to. That’s his style.
“I think three is a lovely one. And then the five. I do think three and five. That’s how I feel.
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“This is just my own thoughts, I’ve not said this to anyone yet. It’s a go now, so I’m thinking now.”
McGregor has not been scheduled for less than five rounds since knocking out Dustin Poirier ten years ago in 2014.
And it was in 2011 that UFC president Dana White announced that all main-event bouts must be five-rounds.
But McGregor – the sport’s highest-paid and biggest superstar – insisted he would forgo his headline spot if needed.
He said: It would be interesting to see what they say about that, I could actually be first of the night. I don’t care.
“Don’t care about none of that, I really don’t care. That’s where I am at with it.”