Conor McGregor shocked the MMA community with an announcement about when and where he will fight Michael Chandler.
Over the past year, fans were disappointed numerous times as they waited to hear when ‘The Notorious’ would fight again. Initially, an official date was supposed to be announced during The Ultimate Fighter Season 31, where McGregor and Chandler were opposing coaches.
Unfortunately, McGregor didn’t rejoin the USADA drug-testing pool, making him ineligible to fight. As a result, the third-party testing organization had their partnership with the UFC terminated starting on January 1, 2024.
After months of waiting, ‘The Notorious’ made the highly-anticipated announcement earlier today about the details of his next fight. He had this to say in a video posted on Twitter:
“Ladies and gentlemen, a happy new year to you all. I’d like to announce the return date for myself, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor. For the the greatest comeback of all time will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, for International Fight Week on June the 29th. The opponent, Michael Chandler, and the weight, Mr.Chandler, 185 pounds.”
Watch Conor McGregor’s announcement video below:
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023
Michael Chandler releases statement following Conor McGregor fight announcement
Michael Chandler’s fifth and latest UFC fight took place in November 2022, a third-round submission loss against Dustin Poirier. Following the disappointing defeat, Chandler was tied to rumors of a fight against Conor McGregor, which would lead to a massive payday.
Chandler committed to a lengthy layoff to ensure he would be ready for McGregor’s return. Months passed by, and ‘Iron’ wasn’t getting many positive updates, leading to concerns about whether he was wasting his time waiting for ‘The Notorious.’
Following McGregor’s announcement video, Chandler responded on Twitter with the following message:
“I always said I wanted you at your biggest, your baddest and your best. 185 would look good on me.”
There are many factors involved in Conor McGregor’s Octagon return. Most importantly, the former two-division UFC champion hasn’t fought since suffering his severe leg injury in July 2021, with his last win being against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in January 2020.
Will the layoff prove too much for McGregor? Has the money finally led to decreased motivation for the UFC legend? Can he return to the win column after suffering such a gruesome injury?
These questions and more will be answered when he meets the always-dangerous Michael Chandler in 2024.
I always said I wanted you at your biggest, your baddest and your best. 185 would look good on me.
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) December 31, 2023
