Sam Patterson believes it's down to Conor McGregor to make his fight with Michael Chandler happen. McGregor had been hoping to make his long awaited return to the octagon this year, but UFC boss Dana White suggested fans would not see the promotion's biggest attraction in 2024. Chandler himself is getting annoyed at the delay and hit back at his rival this week, saying that he would soon be a ‘distant memory’ in the MMA world.
Watford welterweight Patterson, who won in impressive fashion at UFC 304 in Manchester by submitting Kiefer Crosbie in the first round, also rejected claims from some fans who claimed Chandler looks silly considering he has seemingly put his career on hold to wait for the riches a McGregor fight brings. “If anyone else was in [Chandler’s] position, they would have done the same thing. “I just think now it's starting to eat at him that two those years out could’ve been free.
You're chasing something that might not even be there now. But when he was doing it back a year ago–it shows how much time flies– it was worth waiting for because it's the McGregor fight. “It's worth the wait, worth waiting a year and a half.
Now it's two years down the line. And again, he isn't young, so how long has he got left on the clock?” McGregor hasn’t fought in the octagon since he suffered a broken leg in his UFC 264 trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in 2021. He was originally scheduled to fight Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but injury meant it was Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka who headlined the card in Las Vegas.
White has previously likened McGregor's life to the story in Rocky III where the prize fighter has become used to a different lifestyle than the one he had when a hungry young man keen for success. McGregor is one of the highest paid athletes in the world and is often seen on his luxury yacht holidaying with his family and enjoying the trappings that comes with high earners. “McGregor doesn’t need to fight anymore,” Patterson added.
“He's got so much money, he doesn't need to fight. So sometimes that hunger as well is scary. Of course he wants to fight, but if you don't have to, it's a different kind of mentality you might have.
“Now I feel like Chandler is going to be eating and wishing he didn't wait. But if it pays off and he gets the McGregor fight and gets the payday, he'll look back on these two and a half years and say it was worth it. But until it happens, we never know.
” Patterson lost in brutal fashion on his debut at UFC 286 on the Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman undercard, but has since been victorious in both of his fights since. When asked if we can expect to see him in the octagon again this year, he said: “Definitely. I have a couple of non-serious injuries that can be handled over the next couple of weeks.
“Everyone sees the two and a half minutes in the cage and they go, ‘Oh, jump straight back in.’ But it's the 12 weeks before you have to think about it. I do like this little period after a fight to get better and improve, so the next time I step in there, I'm not the same guy I was in Manchester.
“I fought in January this year, so I missed Christmas and New Year's with my family because I had to train. “I'd like to fight in December so I can enjoy Christmas and New Year's this year. But my management are in talks with the UFC and fingers crossed that it all comes together.
“I want three fights, hopefully three first round finishes.”.
