Popular American lightweight Michael Chandler returns to the octagon this weekend in the co-main event of UFC 309; five months after he was originally set to face Conor McGregor in the Irishman’s long-awaited return fight.

Whilst that ‘Notorious’ showdown failed to materialize due to injury, Michael Chandler still believes that he will be the former double champion’s return opponent; otherwise, he risks tainting his UFC legacy forever.

Michael Chandler believes Conor McGregor needs to fight him in UFC return

Speaking via the MainEvent YouTube channel, Michael Chandler admitted that he’s been forced to forget about Conor McGregor “for the time being” as he stares down a highly anticipated rematch with Charles Oliveira this weekend.

Yet despite having his sights firmly set on ‘do Bronx’ and the co-main event of UFC 309, Chandler still holds out hope that he’ll be the one to welcome McGregor back to the octagon.

“If Conor comes back, his road comes back through Nashville, Tennessee and Michael Chandler – we’ve got to finish The Ultimate Fighter 31… Say what you want about Conor, he is nothing without the UFC and the sport of MMA and I think he knows that.

“I think he’s more romantic and respectful of the sport than people give him credit for, so I think he wants to finish the contract that we had signed, I think he wants to finish that word that he gave to show up on June 29th.”

McGregor famously pulled out of his UFC 303 main event fight against Chandler with a broken toe; a few months later, he told Bloody Elbow that he could ditch ‘Iron’ in favor of a matchup against Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker.

Unsurprisingly, Chandler isn’t a fan of McGregor teasing anyone other than him for his UFC return, even going as far as to suggest that “I think it’s a stain on his legacy if he doesn’t come back and fight me because of pulling out of that [first] fight.

“He’s never once pulled out of a fight ever, and he’s fought injured numerous times so I wish him well in his recovery and getting his house in order, so that we can finish TUF 31… 170lbs, 155lbs, or 185lbs – I don’t care what it is, it’s just a fight that I want – I want the biggest names, the brightest lights, the biggest platforms and I’ve always said that.”

Michael Chandler feels ‘reinvented’ ahead of his UFC 309 rematch with Oliveira

Contrary to what had been the narrative post-pullout, Chandler believes that the time away from the octagon has been a blessing in disguise and that he’s now reinvented himself ahead of UFC 309 this coming weekend.

“The last two years for me have all been about growth and patience. Obviously, with the way that the whole Conor McGregor-Ultimate Fighter thing happened, I like to say that it happened for me, and not to me.”

Chandler enters UFC 309 fight week “happy, healthy and hard to kill,” as he’s desperate to get that win back against Oliveira, especially if he’s able to secure yet another viral finish.

“You’re going to see a completely different version of myself stepping inside the octagon on Saturday and I believe that’s the recipe to win… Chandler 1.0 was out for blood; Chandler 2.0 is out for the title.

“This is going to be vintage Michael Chandler, I’m going to put pressure on him, foot on the gas, making him second-guess himself, letting the fight materialize – ultimately, I think I knock him out, clean, cold in the second or third round.”

UFC 309 goes down live from Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 16.