Former UFC star Ben “Funky” Askren publicly ridiculed “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, accusing him of wasting Michael Chandler’s time. In an interview with MMA Legend Daniel Cormier, Askren didn’t hold back, straightforwardly labelling McGregor as an “Addict”.
Ben Askren calls out Conor McGregor as an “Addict”
Askren stated“It’s pretty obvious, to me, that Conor McGregor is an addict. -This guy clearly is out partying, can’t show up for training camp. And then because he can’t show up, he can’t get ready for a fight.”
In June at UFC 303, McGregor had plans to meet with Michael ‘Iron’ Chandler, but just a week before the scheduled date, he withdrew from the fight due to a broken toe.
A few days later, videos surfaced of McGregor climbing a mountain in Switzerland, seemingly unfazed by his injured appendage. As Conor crossed a suspension bridge enveloped in clouds, he could be heard saying, “Who gets higher than the Mac daddy? Not one of ya’s!”
Chael Sonnen has proposed that McGregor’s true reason for pulling out of the fight isn’t the one that was publicly disclosed.
Conor has been talking about making “the biggest comeback in combat sports history” for some time now. and it appears that Askren is tired of hearing about it. Multiple videos of McGregor’s lifestyle have continued to surface.
“There’s videos of him partying, constantly. -I guess fine, whatever. Go live your life. But he kind of dragged on that he was going to fight for two years… So it’s really annoying.”
Ben said that he saw this coming a year prior to UFC 303, and had warned Michael Chandler to not waste his time waiting on Conor.
“I was on record saying he wasn’t fighting in 2023. That Michael Chandler should move on and say ‘Hey, you’re not a serious fighter anymore, you’re an addict and you can’t train’. I’ve said that many times… probably both. From all rumors, he’s on multiple substances.” -I’ve watched videos enough to know that this guy is out of control.”
Michael Chandler Moves On from McGregor
Chandler, now hasn’t fought since UFC 281 back in November of 2022. He has been waiting for Conor to make his comeback, after the pair’s teams competed in “The Ultimate Fighter 31” during 2023. Traditionally, the coaches of each team have a grudge match at the show’s finale. However, McGregor was unable to compete due to time restrictions with the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Since then, it has been excuse after excuse for the Irish Superstar, explaining why he hasn’t been able to make his return.
Chandler has finally let go of hope for fighting McGregor, and has now opted to form a rematch with former Lightweight Champion Charles Oliviera instead. It may not be the headliner Chandler was expecting, but now as Co-Main event to Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, he is still fighting on what will be one of the biggest cards in UFC history.
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