Will Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler finally face off in the highly anticipated clash? Get the latest updates on their potential fight and the hurdles they need to overcome.
The potential clash between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler has been a topic of speculation for quite some time. McGregor, the beloved Irish fighter, made a comeback to the MMA scene as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 31 (TUF) this year. On the other side, Chandler has been waiting patiently for the opportunity to face McGregor. However, there is one major hurdle that needs to be cleared before this fight can take place.
McGregor, who is 35 years old, has not yet re-entered the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) testing pool. According to USADA regulations, UFC athletes must undergo six months of testing before they can compete. This means that McGregor’s return to the Octagon is still uncertain.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the fight, McGregor has expressed his willingness to take on Chandler. In a tweet, McGregor stated, "I’ll do it if they want, no prob. I don’t think they want him no more tho. There’s loads of juicy fights around and my return date is my return date. I never gave a f—k about who it was. Ever. I’ll fight anyone. I’ll even fly them to me, ask [Paulie] Malinaggi. Flown in and bet around."
McGregor’s last fight was against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was seeking redemption after a previous loss to Poirier but unfortunately suffered a leg injury in the first round, resulting in a TKO loss.
Chandler, on the other hand, last fought at UFC 264 in November 2022, where he faced Poirier and lost via a rear-naked choke in the third round.
While Team McGregor has been making a comeback on TUF 31, Team Chandler has maintained a strong lead. If Chandler remains determined to secure the fight against McGregor, he will have been out of action for a full year by the time they finally face off, assuming there are no USADA exemptions.
It remains to be seen whether the highly anticipated clash between McGregor and Chandler will come to fruition. Fans are eagerly waiting for an official announcement and hoping that both fighters can overcome the obstacles in their way to make this fight happen.
