Conor McGregor’s UFC rival Michael Chandler reveals the tactics he plans to use to beat the Irishman as the pair prepare for the fight

MICHAEL CHANDLER has outlined his path to victory in his blockbuster showdown with Conor McGregor.

Bellator’s three-time lightweight champion will welcome the UFC figurehead back to the Octagon as a trainer later this year after the Ultimate Fighter’s 31st season.

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Both men are notoriously quick starters, and Chandler sees nothing but a high-octane start to their much-anticipated welterweight showdown.

He told ESPN, “Conor and I both start extremely quickly.

“The cage door closes, Bruce Buffer announces us, that bell rings and we both try to meet in the middle of the octagon to get the other guy to step back first.

“Taking Conor more into a taller, broader stance that takes up more space to project that dominant spirit of himself.

“I’m more like a rocket coming towards you and letting you feel my presence immediately. I want to get my hands on you.”

However, Kill Cliff MMA star Chandler knows the dangers of ruthlessly chasing slick counterattacker McGregor.

He said: “If he lands one on the button it’s going to be a rough night for me.

“If I land one on the button it’s going to be a rough night for him, but who of us can pull it off?

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“I’m going to look him in the face, make him take a step back immediately.

“He will feel my presence from the start of the fight and from there, wherever the fight takes us.

“If I want to pick him up and put him down, I can pick him up and put him down and spank him and get submission that way.

“I think I’ll finish Conor in the second round.

“This is my ‘Mystic Mike’ version of it later this year whenever the time comes.”

Chandler, 36, will have a distinct advantage over McGregor when it comes to wrestling and grappling – which many expect to rely heavily on to raise his hand.

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But the American sees himself tackling former two-division champion McGregor.

He said: “I always picture a big right or left hook.

“That’s the shot I really want to land every time and that’s the shot that I’ve seen so many times in my career that’s knocked down guys in training, that’s knocked down guys a million times in my head.

“I think I’ll wear him down a bit and land a big toss in the second round and knock him out.”

Fan favorite Chandler hasn’t fought since his UFC 281 showdown with Dustin Poirier, which he lost in the third round.

McGregor, meanwhile, has not set foot in the octagon since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Poirier in July 2021.