Michael Chandler has heaped some rare praise on Conor McGregor's UFC career by disregarding his losing streak amid talk of the pair potentially facing off.
The Dubliner is gearing up to make his UFC comeback next year as he steps up his recovery from a broken leg suffered in defeat by Dustin Poirier, and was recently pictured after training alongside his fiancé Dee Devlin.
He has been called out by American lightweight Chandler, who is currently ranked No.5, four places above the Notorious one.
But Chandler has lauded McGregor's achievements and dismissed calls that the Irishman struggles with the wrestling side of his skillset before also expressing his desire to fight him, Mirror UK reports.
Chandler told the 'Bussin' With The Boys' podcast : "It’s a different approach when you’re fighting a guy like Conor because fighting a guy like (Justin) Gaethje, who loves to brawl.
"So, you’ve definitely gotta be on your Ps and Qs with the striking. But then the coolest thing about Conor, too, is everybody always talks about how bad of a wrestler he is, how bad of a grappler he is.
"Chad Mendes took him down a couple times. He got taken down a couple times in the second (Nate) Diaz fight. He got taken down numerous times in other fights. And he has always kept his composure.
"His mental awareness capacity and stability inside of the octagon, inside the confines of competition – especially with how heightened the stakes and the senses are, inside of his fights, while everybody in the entire world is watching – it’s something to behold, man.
"He’s a different level of competitor. And anybody who discredits him because he’s lost fights is just either a casual or a Conor hater, to be honest with you.”
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