Conor McGregor’s long-time coach John Kavanagh is happy enough with what he’s seen from the UFC superstar in training to predict that he’ll stop Michael Chandler inside of two rounds when they fight in the main event of UFC 303 on June 29th in Las Vegas.
“He’s looking super slick. He’s come back on the mats as sharp as ever of course we’ve got to get the rounds in and the conditioning up as to be ready for competition but his technique is as sharp as ever,” Kavanagh told Severe MMA.
“I’ve said this from the start, I see similarities to the (Chad) Mendes fight, I’d be surprised if it goes two rounds, I’d be surprised. He just hits too hard, he’s too sharp. Is there going to be scrappiness and a few takedowns and stuff, maybe, but every round starts on the feet and his ability to get back there is underestimated, so I’d be surprised if we see two rounds.”
Meanwhile, in a new interview Chandler is looking more towards the benefits of the fight potentially going into the fourth and fifth rounds, noting that McGregor’s camp initially seemed were more keen on the idea of it only being a three-rounder.
“It was very interesting, when I heard it [reports of it being three rounds] later on,” Chandler said on The MMA Hour show. “I like five rounds… I like the idea of the training camp you have to put in for five rounds… One of us wants it, one of us didn’t. That’s a good indicator of who’s ready to go to battle. I’m excited, I’m glad it’s five rounds. I think it was more discussed on his side more than it was on my side.”
McGregor had himself brought up the idea of it being a threer-rounder during an appearance on The MMA Hour back in March before the fight was officially signed.
“Maybe I might say to them, ‘Look I’m just doing three rounds lads, for this one,'” McGregor had suggested back then during his chat with Ariel Helwani. “And I just want to just wet my beak. I can do three rounds really nicely now. Rather than pushing through to get to five.”
Cardio has been an issue for McGregor in the past, and given that he’s coming back after a three-year absence due to a broken leg that’s certainly going to be a potential point of concern for him heading into this fight.
That being said, Chandler has only been to a decision once in the past five years and he too suggested earlier this week that he thinks he can finish McGregor within two rounds.
