Michael Chandler has acknowledged Conor McGregor’s upcoming return to the octagon on July 11th, conveying a message to the Irish fighter. McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion, is set to make his comeback after a five-year hiatus to face Max Holloway at UFC 329. While Chandler had anticipated being McGregor’s opponent upon his return, it appears the UFC is no longer prioritizing this matchup.
Chandler and McGregor were opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 31 in 2023. Their anticipated fight was slated to headline UFC 303 in 2024, but a toe injury forced McGregor to withdraw. Chandler waited for the bout to be rescheduled. However, with McGregor occupied by other commitments, including legal matters and presidential aspirations, Chandler instead faced Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 and lost via unanimous decision. He also suffered a third-round TKO loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 last year. Currently on a three-fight losing streak, the 40-year-old aims to get back in the win column by knocking out Mauricio Ruffy on June 14th at the White House event.
In an interview, Chandler stated, “I’m going to knock out Mauricio Ruffy on the White House lawn, and then we’ll see what happens after that.”
Michael Chandler Expresses Continued Interest in Conor McGregor Fight, Plans to Watch UFC 329
During the same interview, Michael Chandler discussed the fight with Conor McGregor that never materialized, admitting he feels “a million miles away” from it now and no longer harbors strong emotions about its cancellation or lack of rebooking. He commented, “It’s funny, man. Me vs. Conor, whether it was The Ultimate Fighter in the lead-up, then the actual training camp, then the pullout of the fight, and the possible rebooking. This whole thing has been an up-and-down soap opera for the better part of a couple of years. As big as it was, as entrenched as I was in it, I just feel like I’m a million miles away now. I don’t really have any emotions about it, and maybe it’s because, obviously, I’m focused on Mauricio Ruffy at the White House.”
Despite his current detachment, “Iron” believes he and McGregor will eventually compete, regardless of the promotion. He elaborated, “Whether me and Conor fight in the UFC or not, Conor and I will compete against each other at some point, in some venue, somewhere, somehow, some way. The story is there, the animosity is there, but also the mutual respect is already there. It’s got all the makings of a blockbuster. So if it happens down the line, it happens down the line. But I wish him well and it’s good to hear obviously. I know they wanted that fight. I wanted the fight. Obviously the UFC had different plans, and the UFC has every right to make whatever fight they want to make. So, here we are.”
Chandler also extended his best wishes to Conor McGregor for his upcoming fight against Max Holloway. He added, “I wish Conor well. The sport is a better place when Conor McGregor is training and on his way back. Max got the nod. We’ll get to see them compete here. It’s only five weeks away. I’ll be there cageside watching, very interested in how that fight goes.”
