Michael Chandler caused quite the stir with his appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw in Anaheim, Calif., where ring announcer Samantha Irvin introduced the UFC standout to deliver a scintillating promo calling for Conor McGregor to get back in the octagon so they can finally fight.
“What’s up, Anaheim?!? You are now in the presence of the most entertaining UFC fighter on the planet!” Chandler yelled into the microphone. “Hey, now there’s a man from Ireland who’s been making me wait way too long, and I still have got one dude on my mind. Conor McGregor, get your candy ass back to the octagon! We’ve got some unfinished business, boys! God bless, and I’ll see you at the top!”
Look who it is on #WWERaw!@MikeChandlerMMA just cut a promo calling for @TheNotoriousMMA
(: @SJSamano) pic.twitter.com/NnAPiyrUWX
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 20, 2024
And with that TKO cross promotion, MMA and pro wrestling fans were left to wonder: What was that all about?
McGregor and Chandler have been on a collision course ever since they coached Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” last year. The show finished airing in August, and a fight was expected shortly thereafter, but for one reason or another we’re still waiting. And we can’t seem to get a straight answer from Dana White as to why.
With UFC and WWE merged together as TKO, Chandler’s appearance and callout shouldn’t come as a surprise, although this type of thing is still very new. The fact that Chandler’s promo was shot with the WrestleMania 40 sign framed over his shoulder wasn’t lost on MMA and pro wrestling fans. And it got people wondering about the possibility of the fight (or something related) happening on April 6 or 7 in Philadelphia – with mixed feelings about it.
