Alvarez reveals UFC tactics behind McGregor-Chandler delay

Eddie Alvarez, a seasoned UFC fighter and former opponent of Conor McGregor, has a theory about why the McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight hasn’t happened yet. Alvarez, who faced McGregor at UFC 205 in 2016, suggests that it’s UFC’s negotiation tactics causing the delay.

McGregor and Chandler were coaches in “The Ultimate Fighter 31”, with a plan for them to compete in McGregor’s MMA comeback after more than a two-year hiatus. However, the fight hasn’t been officially announced yet, leading to speculation about the cause of the delay. Alvarez believes that UFC is using a strategy of deliberately keeping fights uncertain.

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“They always bring in several fighters to drive the prices down,” Alvarez explains on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani. He argues that this is a standard method for the UFC to prevent fighters from gaining negotiating advantages by knowing their opponents in advance.

Alvarez experienced similar tactics from the UFC in his preparation for the fight against McGregor, where they used Khabib Nurmagomedov as an alternate to force Alvarez to accept the fight on their terms.

At present, it’s still unclear what exactly is causing the delay of the fight. McGregor re-entered the USADA testing pool in October, making him eligible to compete again from April 2024. Alvarez speculates that McGregor, who holds significant sway in the sport, might continue to delay announcing his next match.

McGregor’s last fight was at UFC 264 where he broke his leg in his trilogy match against Dustin Poirier.