UFC's Matt Brown on Conor McGregor: 'Just Don't Think He's a Top-5 Guy Anymore'

At the height of his powers, Conor McGregor was the most electrifying fighter in the UFC and a two-division champion.

But ahead of a McGregor vs. Michael Chandler matchup, UFC welterweight Matt Brown said on the The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast that he believes McGregor's time as an elite fighter is over (h/t Damon Martin of MMA Fighting):

"In his prime, I would pick him to beat Chandler. I'm not sure Conor is actually in his prime anymore. I think he's going to want to be out there. He wants his name in the news. He's addicted to that, people loving him and the ego, and I think he likes getting in there and fighting. But whether he wins or loses, I don't see him in the top-five ever again, personally.

"They might rank him top-five if he beats Michael Chandler, but he's not a true top-five guy. I don't think he beats Beneil [Dariush], I don't think he beats any of the top five guys, [Dustin] Poirier, [Justin] Gaethje, I just don't think he's a top-five guy anymore."

It's a fair argument. McGregor is 1-3 in his last four fights, with two straight losses to Poirier. He also hasn't stepped into The Octagon in nearly two years and is now 34 years old.

Beating Chandler would thrust him back into the limelight. But Brown doesn't see McGregor winning that fight given the form he's shown in recent bouts.

"I think Chandler's the wrong guy to be fighting in that position," he said. "I'm going to pick Chandler to win, but Conor should, with his skill set, be able to win. With that said, he will never be a top-five guy regardless—he'll never beat a top-five guy, in my opinion."