Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler Fight Is Actually Happening, And We Have A Date
Conor McGregor is officially returning to the octagon. And after more than a year of waiting, we're finally going to see him take on Michael Chandler.
UFC CEO Dana White announced Saturday night that McGregor will fight Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas.
The fight was supposed to happen last year. It didn't. And fans were left wondering if it was ever going to happen at all.
"It’s not that we’ve been working on it for ages, it’s that there are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes. It’s all about timing. Chandler has been ready, but Conor wasn’t ready," White said at a press conference after UFC 300.
"Conor had a lot of obligations that he had to deal with, and what you don’t want him doing is accepting a fight when he’s got a ton of obligations and he can’t train 100% for a fight. So here we are tonight."
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Other obligations, indeed. Not only is McGregor UFC's biggest star, but he's also a businessman outside the octagon. In 2018, he launched his Proper 12 whiskey, and three years later, he sold his majority stake for $600 million.
The 35-year-old's other ventures include a line of sports recovery products called Tidl and sponsorships with Beetroot Lab, DraftKings and Rolls-Royce. Oh, and walking around naked in that Road House movie.
Conor McGregor Makes A Comeback
But McGregor hasn't fought since July 2021, when he broke his left leg in a fight with Dustin Poirier. McGregor and Chandler coached against one another on The Ultimate Fighter in 2023, with the plan being that the two would fight after the conclusion of the reality show.
When that didn't happen, Chandler started throwing jabs — figuratively, of course.
At WWE's Monday Night Raw in February, Chandler grabbed the mic and called out his Irish adversary.
"There’s a man from Ireland that’s been making me wait for way too long, and I still got one dude on my mind: Conor Mcgregor," he said, as the crowd roared. "Get your candy ass back in the Octagon. We’ve got some unfinished business, boys. God bless, see you at the top."
But it's been a while for Chandler, too. The 37-year-old hasn't fought since a submission loss to Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022.
And he seems relieved that the wait is over — posting "officially official" on social media.
"Thank y'all for being on this journey with me. Time to get to work."
The UFC 303 fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will take place at 170 pounds. The card will highlight the UFC's annual International Fight Week.