With the imminent return of Conor McGregor dominating headlines, Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier wonders whether or not the Irishman still has enough clout to headline an event as massive as UFC 300 next year.
Over the weekend, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that McGregor had submitted paperwork to re-enter the USADA testing pool to begin six months of pre-fight screening. The news became especially exciting when fight fans realized that it puts his potential return date in April, right around the same time that the promotion’s third centennial event is expected to go down.
Speaking about McGregor’s potential return at UFC 300 on the latest episode of DC&RC, Ryan Clark suggested that there is no night that makes more sense for the two-division champ’s comeback than UFC 300.
“This is what Conor does, DC. Everybody’s been sitting around saying, ‘When will he get in the USADA pool? Let’s make sure we’re testing him. When will he fight again?’ Conor does what the hell Conor wants to do and he wants to be a part of UFC 300,” Clark said. “He knows that that’s the prime time to come back into the Octagon where all eyes will be on him and it’ll be one of the biggest events, if not the biggest event, in UFC history. And you can’t have a big UFC event that is called one of the biggest in history if Conor McGregor is not a part of it.
“Think about it. Whether it’s Diaz/McGregor, Khabib/McGregor, Poirier/McGregor. All of these fights were part of some of the biggest pay-per-view cards in the history of the UFC. I believe two of them are the top two. And so Conor McGregor at UFC 300 just makes too much sense.”
Daniel Cormier Questions Whether or Not Conor McGregor is Worthy of the UFC 300 Main Event
Picking up where Clark left off, Daniel Cormier believes that UFC 300 is the right night for McGregor to step back inside the Octagon. However, ‘DC’ can’t help, but wonder if the Irishman is worthy of main eventing the milestone event and overshadowing the promotion’s current world champions.
“People in the general public are so excited about Conor McGregor coming back, but I got to be honest with you,” Cormier said. “I feel like a lot of the hardcore fans are a little fed up with it. They just want to see him back. They’re tired of he’s back, he’s gone, he’s back. They want Conor McGregor back and they want him back in a manner in which he’s consistent and he’s fighting frequently. But I don’t know if that’s going to be the case with Conor anymore.
“I believe at this point he’s a marquee attraction that, when he’s there, he warrants the biggest fights in the world. Meaning that UFC 300 does fit the bill. But that also lends you to ask this question; Does Conor McGregor at UFC 300 main event? Because generally when you do a UFC 100, 200, or 300, there are a number of title fights on that card. Does Conor McGregor top all those title fights and headline?
“And if he doesn’t, how do you have a conversation with Conor about not being in the headlining seat when most of the people who will tune in will be watching for Conor?”
Conor McGregor has struggled to find the win column in recent years, winning just one fight since 2016. Despite that, ‘The Notorious’ has still maintained his status as one of the biggest stars in MMA. But is that enough to earn him that UFC 300 main event slot?
“He has been on a bit of a downturn,” Cormier added. “He has not won many fights, but I think that speaks to the star power that he possesses. Though he is on that type of a run, he’s still maybe the guy that when you look at the biggest fight in the history of the sport and the history of the company, they go, ‘You know what? Title fights or not, you are still going to be the headlining act. Is Conor McGregor the headlining act at UFC 300 or does he go before people who are holding championship belts?”
Michael Chandler is Nothing Short of Confident That His Fight with McGregor Will Happen
Joined by Conor McGregor’s anticipated opponent, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler started off by quelling the concerns of any fans still skeptical of the Irishman’s return.
“I am 100% confident and I have the utmost expectancy that this fight is happening,” Chandler said.
It’s been eight months since McGregor vs. Chandler was first announced and by all accounts, it’ll be another six months at minimum before they actually step inside the Octagon. Asked if he’s been frustrated at all by the lengthy wait or ever considered moving on to another opponent, Chandler said:
“Any fight that you really want, that you have your heart set on, it’s always tough to wait. Especially when it’s catching lightning in a bottle. When it is the unicorn fight. The Conor McGregor fight that supersedes The Ultimate Fighter. 12 weeks on ESPN. There was a lot of buildup. We’ve been talking about this thing since February. I had a phone call with Hunter Campbell in February and I just had a phone call with Hunter Campbell today.
“Things are moving in the right direction. I know we’re not getting the answers that everybody wants, but I’ve always just known that Conor’s a fighter. Conor wants to come back. Yeah, he’s got all the money in the world. He’s living on boats, but he wants to come back to his first love and there’s only one guy that he can fight and that’s me.”
Michael Chandler: My guts says we might be waiting out til UFC 300.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/rm5RBKmpP7
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 4, 2023
As for his thoughts on the pair headlining UFC 300, Chandler is content to leave that up to the UFC while he continues to prepare for the biggest fight of their respective careers.
“Do I think we’re deserving of that? Deserve is a tough word that anybody should use these days because a lot of people think they deserve a lot more than they actually do. However, I do think Conor and I are main event material. Do I think it’s going to be UFC 300, I don’t know. Do I think we’re worthy of that, I don’t know. Do I know what’s going to happen tomorrow let alone six months from now? No, I don’t.
“Either way, it’s a big fight. Every single time Conor has tweeted, every single time Conor has teased that he’s coming back. Every time they see me out here training, keeping my nose to the grindstone knowing that Conor is up against one of the toughest tests he’s had in his entire career, maybe the toughest test, especially coming off a two-year layoff. This fight has all the makings of fireworks.”
Watch the full episode of DC&RC below:
