Gilbert Burns feels for teammate Michael Chandler but ‘I would never wait that long for any opponent’

When Michael Chandler got the call to coach The Ultimate Fighter 31 opposite Conor McGregor, he thought he was getting the opportunity of a lifetime.

Though it wasn’t a title fight, a showdown against McGregor is just about the biggest fight anybody can land in combat sports right now, especially as the Irish superstar looks to make his comeback after suffering a gruesome broken leg in 2021. Chandler stayed patient through filming the reality show, McGregor’s continued rehabilitation from injury, the six months needed for drug testing after re-entering the UFC’s anti-doping program, and even a broken pinky toe that cancelled their highly anticipated fight booked for UFC 303 in June.

But UFC CEO Dana White recently and repeatedly stated that McGregor isn’t fighting in 2024, and November marks two years since Chandler’s most recent bout. As much as a fight against McGregor means to a fighter’s bank account and the attention they’ll receive as a result, Chandler’s longtime teammate Gilbert Burns admits he would’ve never sat on the sidelines for this long just waiting for something to happen.

“I would never wait that long for any opponent,” Burns told MMA Fighting. “I would never wait, especially [at] my age. [Chandler] just turned 38 too. I would never wait two years. That’s crazy. Even though it’s Conor McGregor, I don’t care. I would never wait.”

Perhaps the biggest problem now is that Chandler has already sacrificed the so much time waiting for McGregor that if he asks UFC to book him against somebody else, it almost feels as if he sat out for nothing.

The sacrifice of time that he won’t get back and potential money lost by not competing could be justified if the fight against McGregor finally happens. Unfortunately for Chandler, he’s still no closer to realizing that dream fight.

In his opinion, Burns believes Chandler should set a time limit on how much longer he sits out and then he has to move on from McGregor.

“[Since] he’s already waiting that long, like you said, I would wait until December,” Burns said. “If the guy shows up, good, we’re here. If not, I think I would have moved on a long time [ago] already.”

As much as fighters chase a McGregor fight because he’s the biggest draw in UFC history — and that translates to pay-per-view buys and money in the bank — Burns just can’t justify missing two years of his career on a hope and a dream that the fight will happen.

Of course, Burns is rooting for Chandler to get his wish and fight McGregor before 2024 is over, but it certainly seems unlikely at this stage of the game.

There’s even questions about whether McGregor ever fights again, and that’s why Burns advises Chandler to set a time limit on booking the matchup or just moving on with his career.

“No way, I think most fighters would not wait,” Burns said. “I think he was hoping to get it going soon and then the delays started. I think now he’s got to wait. Now this fight’s got to happen. For sure, if it doesn’t come in December, no one will think he’s ever coming back anymore.

“I think I’d do like you said, if he shows up in December, good, let’s go. If not, you’ve got to move on.”