Michael Chandler explains why he has been targeting Dustin Poirier, not Conor McGregor, in lead-up to UFC 262

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler explained why he has been targeting Dustin Poirier, not Conor McGregor, in the lead-up to UFC 262.

Chandler turned heads at his UFC debut earlier this year when he knocked out Dan Hooker. The win was good enough for the promotion to give him a vacant UFC lightweight title shot against Charles Oliveira at UFC 262 in May. And while Chandler is fully focused on that fight, it hasn’t stopped him from taking to social media and interviews to take shots at Poirier. There is a reason for that, according to Chandler.

“Iron” said that the reason he has been targeting Poirier was that he was talking smack about Chandler. Since McGregor hasn’t said anything, Chandler hasn’t said anything back.

“Conor has not said one negative thing about me. Conor hasn’t really said my name at all. Not that that is a good thing or a bad thing. Poirier has. That’s fine. He can have his opinion of me. ‘I haven’t earned it’ or he’d rather sell hot sauce than fight me for the title, or it’s ‘fool’s gold.’ It was more directed at him because he’s been the guy that’s said the most,” Chandler told MMAjunkie.com.

“He’s got a big fight ahead of him. He’s got the biggest fight of his life ahead of him. Finishing a trilogy with Conor McGregor is the biggest thing he’s got on his plate. But then again, I should be more worried about Charles Oliveira, I guess.”

Should Chandler get by Oliveira at UFC 262 on May 15 in Houston, he seems likely to be the next in line to fight the winner of UFC 264’s Poirier vs. McGregor. His focus right now is on Oliveira, as it should be, but Chandler can’t help but continue looking ahead at the future of the lightweight division, and Poirier is right there in his eyesight.

How excited are you to see Michael Chandler return to the Octagon at UFC 262?