Josh Thomson believes Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler is anything but a high-level fight.
McGregor and Chandler are expected to lock horns in the summer, almost a year after the two faced off for the first time at The Ultimate Fighter 31.
The highly-anticipated matchup will likely headline a UFC pay-per-view, and it’ll a huge moment for the Irishman, who hopes to make his comeback after a three-year lay-off. On paper, it’s a massive fight, but on merit, Thomson thinks it’s not a very high-level matchup.
“When Nate Diaz did it (beat McGregor), it was special,” Thomson said while speaking on his Weighin In Podcast. “We thought Conor was the man, and Nate did it coming in on what? Two weeks’ notice? That was amazing, and it was the way the fight played out. It was amazing because he got his ass kicked for the first round. He started coming on, and then in the second round, everything happened. But, if Chandler did it (beat McGregor), I don’t even think we would be impressed. You beat a dude that’s been doing movies and drinking and partying for three years.
“I think it’s going to be a great fight. I think it’s going to be a fun fight. Someone is getting knocked the f*** out. I’m not discrediting the fight at all in terms of the level of entertainment, but I don’t want to give it too much love and be like, ‘This is a high-level fight.’ No, it’s not. It’s not a high-level fight. We’re not getting the best Conor McGregor.”
McGregor’s most recent fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021 ended with him sustaining a broken tibia, whereas Chandler faced ‘The Diamond’ at UFC 281 in 2022, where he suffered a loss via submission.
Do you agree with Josh Thomson?
