The rivalry between the two lightweight stars is already brewing with both men acting as coaches on the next series of The Ultimate Fighter, and following the conclusion of the tournament, McGregor and Chandler will settle their differences inside the Octagon. 

While Chandler has been active since making his UFC debut in January 2021, McGregor has been the opposite. 

This has been due to a broken ankle McGregor suffered when taking on Dustin Poirier in July 2021 and has led to long absence from the fight game.

Almeida sees this as a major factor for the Irishman's fight with Chandler and believes it will play into the American's hands when the two finally go head-to-head. 

“I’m really excited to see the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter between McGregor and Chandler. I’ve been following it across social media and I’ve seen reports of a little scuffle which I cannot wait to see play out on TV!" Almeida said when speaking in his role as an ambassador for Stake.com. 

“McGregor being out for so long with a very bad injury may cause a bit of Octagon rust, so I am actually going to back Chandler for this one. I actually think he may stop him as well.”