Conor McGregor issued major knockout warning during long-awaited UFC return

Arman Tsarukyan, a top contender in the UFC lightweight division, has issued a warning to Conor McGregor about the potential of a first round knockout in his upcoming fight against Michael Chandler this summer.

Despite his technical knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 on July 10, 2021, McGregor had not fought since then. However, his announcement of a comeback still shook the MMA world, as he was a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.

The 35-year-old fighter will face off against the seventh-ranked lightweight, Michael Chandler, at UFC 303 on June 29. In preparation for the highly anticipated bout, Arman Tsarukyan, who currently holds the number one ranking behind champion Islam Makhachev, spoke with Michael Bisping and cautioned McGregor that Chandler will be coming out swinging to knock him out.

“According to the Armenian MMA fighter, Chandler is known for always fighting for his fans and not using his brain. This is why he plans to knock out his opponent in the first round, as he believes Chandler is especially dangerous during this time. The fighter is confident that Chandler can finish Conor in the first round.”

Despite Chandler’s impressive record of scoring 11 knockout victories out of 23, he is often associated with a sense of fear, similar to his opponent McGregor who has an even higher number of 19 knockouts in 22 wins. McGregor is highly praised for his exceptional technical abilities, which Tsarukyan believes will play a crucial role in the outcome of the fight if it extends beyond the first round.

“In the second or third round, Chandler will likely lose the fight because he needs to knock out his opponent in the first round to win. In comparison, I believe Conor is superior in terms of his conditioning and intelligence.”

The topic begins at 13:24.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVu1hvEQr5E

Despite nearly three years passing since his last professional match, McGregor will return to the Octagon on June 29. Throughout his career, he has only been knocked out twice, both times by Poirier.

Rustiness may greatly impact ‘The Notorious’ performance on fight night, as Chandler, who has also been absent for 17 months, will aim to keep McGregor alert from the start of the fight.