Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler: ‘The Notorious’ Teases Comeback Fight Against ‘Iron’ At UFC 296
Conor McGregor recently dropped a major hint for his highly anticipated return to action this year.
McGregor has been on the sidelines since his ill-fated fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. The Irishman suffered a nasty leg fracture during the fight and was forced to undergo extensive surgery and physical rehabilitation. However, after over two years away from the octagon, the former two-division champion seems ready to return.
Earlier this year, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were roped in as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 31. After the show concluded, the two explosive strikers were expected to face off in the octagon. However, McGregor’s reluctance to fulfill USADA’s drug-testing requirements has proven to be a significant hurdle to that matchup.
However, ‘The Notorious’ recently took to Twitter to share a screenshot from the UFC Fight Pass website, showing that he’s booked to headline UFC 296 on December 16 against Chandler. While the page doesn’t appear on the webpage, McGregor wasted no time sending his fans into a frenzy in anticipation of his return.
The UFC hasn’t made any official statement regarding McGregor’s tweet so far. Given the Irishman’s difficult situation with the USADA, fans will likely have to wait longer for an official announcement from the promotion.
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler: ‘Iron’ Opens Up About Welcoming ‘The Notorious’ Back To Action
Michael Chandler recently discussed his highly anticipated matchup against Conor McGregor.
As mentioned, McGregor has been away from the octagon for more than two years due to injury. Earlier this year, the Irishman returned to the spotlight as a coach on TUF 31. After the conclusion of the show, many were eager to know when they would clash in the cage.
However, McGregor seemed to lose interest in ‘Iron’ as his comeback opponent and called for fights against Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Nate Diaz, and Floyd Mayweather. While many wondered if Chandler was off McGregor’s hit list, the former Bellator lightweight champion recently cleared the air and assured fans they’d see him fight the Irishman.
At a UFC 292 press conference, ‘Iron’ expressed his optimism about being the one to welcome Conor McGregor back. He said:
“I can fight him tomorrow… I think every single day, everything changes with time and circumstance… And I haven’t really thought about a deadline. I’ve got a loose deadline in my head that I’m not going to share with you, but we’ll flirt with that whenever we figure it out.”
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