UFC CEO Dana White is still mapping out the rest of 2024.
We’re midway through the year with many burning questions that have yet to be answered. When will Conor McGregor’s next fight take place? Who will be his opponent? What will ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC‘ look like from inside The Sphere? While White doesn’t have too much specifics, he does have some details to share.
Michael Chandler has long waited for his opportunity to fight McGregor, sitting out on the sidelines for nearly two years with nothing to show for it. Chandler’s patience looked to have paid off finally at UFC 303 but two weeks out, it was revealed McGregor wouldn’t be fighting, having to withdraw due to a toe injury, putting the fight in question once again.
White: “I Don’t Have A Date For It…”
After a little bit of back-and-forth between the two fighters as to who’d they fight next, things are now starting to look up for McGregor and Chandler, as “The Notorious” said they’ll finally square off before the end of the year, mentioning he had spoken with White.
https://x.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1812290630623592879
On Monday, White was asked about McGregor’s claims, saying there was still no date for their fight.
“That’s the fight that needs to happen,” White said on the Pat McAfee Show, when asked for an update on McGregor vs. Chandler. “You know, we’ve been waiting for it. It’s an awesome fight. It’s a fun fight. And, yeah, as I’m sitting here, right here, right now, no, I don’t have a date for it or a plan or anything like that. And obviously, me, the fans, and ESPN would love it to happen in 2024, but we’ll see what happens.”
UFC 310?
While no word on a date from the UFC boss, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani says the super-fight could potentially take place in December, doubting the UFC would want to put McGregor on “Noche UFC” with other champions on the card because of pay-per-view points.
“The hope is Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler in December on that Dec. 14th pay-per-view,” MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani said of a potential date for the super-fight on ‘The MMA Hour.'”
Noche UFC Lineup 60% Complete
When it comes to The Sphere show, we don’t know much about the blueprint for Noche UFC… only that it has cost $17M already for the UFC to plan out ahead of Sep. 14. White would also reveal what the card and seating situation will look like for what he thinks will be ‘the greatest sporting event of all time’.
“We’re going to do 10 (fights),” White said of Noche UFC, which commemorates Mexican Independence Day. “There will be a main, co-main and this card will be very Mexican-heavy.”
“You’re going to have the people that are in the seats, the people that are in the suites, and then the bottom level, where people are actually standing and will watch the whole thing, standing room only. And then there will be bleachers and seats… I’m already $17 million into this thing, and we’re not anywhere near September yet.”
Six fights have been reported for Noche UFC so far, with four more spots available. Check out the full line-up below:
- Irene Aldana vs. Norma Dumont
- Michel Pereira vs. Anthony Hernandez
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Ketlen Souza
- Edgar Cháirez vs. Kevin Borjas
- Luis Ronaldo Rodríguez vs. Ode Osbourne
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Manuel Torres
