Dana White has revealed that the tension between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler has increased rapidly.
When McGregor and Chandler were announced as the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter Season 31, the MMA community questioned if the two UFC superstars would become rivals. Although ‘The Notorious’ is always associated with drama, ‘Iron’ tends to be respectful and keep things professional with his opponents.
During the UFC 285 post-fight press conference, White has this to say about the relationship between McGregor and Chandler:
“Chandler and Conor were very respectful to each other, and then some things started escalating that you’ll see on the show. They do not like each other now. A lot of s*** went down on Friday.”
The UFC president continued by saying:
“There was a lot of s*** that went down on Friday, yeah. I don’t look at stuff that’s good for the show or things like that. Whatever happens, happens. The stuff that just happened shouldn’t have happened and I’m getting old. I would have been in there sooner back in the days but not good.”
Watch Dana White discuss Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler below:
Dana White says "things started escalating" between TUF coaches Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler 👀
"They do not like each other now. A lot of s*** went down on Friday."
Full #UFC285 scrum ▶️ https://t.co/wbRKimmrd9 pic.twitter.com/sb6Ncvmmty
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 5, 2023
Dana White says there is no official date for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 is set to air on May 30, with the cast featuring lightweights and bantamweights that are split between upcoming prospects and former UFC fighters. Although there are high expectations for TUF, fans are more excited about the future fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.
During the same press conference, Dana White was asked when ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Iron’ will be fighting. He responded by saying:
“Trust me if there was [a date], you would have heard about it already. As soon as there is, we’ll announce it, but no not yet.”
Since making his UFC debut in 2021, Chandler holds a promotional record of 2-3, with all of his fights being entertaining. He last fought in November 2022, losing against Dustin Poirier by a third-round submission. Meanwhile, McGregor hasn’t fought since July 2021, losing his second consecutive fight against Poirier. The former two-division UFC champion looks to get back on track against the always dangerous ‘Iron.’
#TUF31 official cast has been announced, per the UFC pic.twitter.com/AYhAdauU6T
— Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) March 5, 2023