Rafael Fiziev Shares Surprising Prediction For Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler

Rafael Fiziev eagerly looks forward to Conor McGregor potentially returning against Michael Chandler. The mercurial UFC lightweight contender recently shared his thoughts on the matchup and claimed that Iron has the upper hand. 

Conor McGregor has been out of action since July 2021 due to suffering a nasty leg injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Over the past two years, the Irishman underwent intensive surgery and physical rehabilitation. After recovering from his fracture, McGregor made his public return as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 31 opposite Chandler. The media highly touted the two explosive strikers as each other’s next opponents.

Fans were understandably hyped about the idea of Michael Chandler welcoming Conor McGregor back to the octagon. However, the matchmaking process has not been smooth and seems to have hit a snag. The problem stems from McGregor’s absence from the USADA’s drug-testing pool. 

He must spend at least six months in it and provide two clean samples before he can compete again. However, that hasn’t happened yet and doesn’t seem close to happening either. 

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Rafael Fiziev pointed out how Conor McGregor’s complacency will prove expensive for him. ‘Ataman’ weighed in on the Irishman’s next proposed matchup and predicted a win for Michael Chandler. Claiming that McGregor has lost focus after becoming a superstar, Fiziev urged Chandler to control his emotions. 

Fiziev claimed that if ‘Iron’ managed to reel his emotions in and fight smart, he could easily beat McGregor. He urged ‘Iron’ to follow the gameplan, claiming that Chandler isn’t fighting prime McGregor from 6-7 years ago. 

This weekend, UFC Vegas 79 will feature Rafael Fiziev facing off against Mateusz Gamrot in a five-round contest.. The Fight Night event will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Fiziev is coming off a third-round decision loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 286.