Conor McGregor announces return, says he’ll fight Michael Chandler in Las Vegas in June
Bout would be contested in 185-pound weight class
Conor McGregor is ready to make his return to the UFC.
McGregor said on social media Sunday that he intends to fight Michael Chandler on June 29 in Las Vegas. The bout will reportedly take place during the UFC’s International Fight Week. Neither the UFC nor Chandler have confirmed the fight, per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. The fight will take place at 185 pounds.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023
McGregor and Chandler coached against each other on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter” and have been rumored to be in talks for a fight for quite some time.
“Here we go, this is the fight I’ve been training for,” Chandler told ESPN on Saturday, while adding that he didn’t know of an official date for the fight. “Any weight — 155, 170, 185 pounds — is good with me.”
The fight being set at 185 pounds is strange for both fighters, as they generally fight at 155. Both McGregor and Chandler have won titles at 155 pounds in the past. Chandler has fought all five of his UFC appearances at the weight class, though McGregor has competed as high as 170.
McGregor has not fought since 2021, when he broke his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier. He holds a 22-6 record, though he has lost his past two bouts to Poirier in 2021. McGregor was ineligible to compete for much of 2023 after he failed to register with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which led to a public feud between McGregor and the UFC vs. the USADA.
Chandler, 37, holds a 23-8 record. He last stepped into the Octagon in 2022, where he also fell to Poirier. It marked his third loss in four fights.
