Getty Conor McGregor & Dana White
UFC president Dana White believes it makes the “most sense” to pit Conor McGregor against Michael Chandler for his comeback fight.
McGregor is still on the shelf after suffering a broken tibia during his July 2021 contest with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. But, according to the UFC president, fans could see him back inside the Octagon as early as the end of 2022, or the beginning of 2023.
“I think he’s getting better, he’s starting to ramp up his training some more and I’m hoping the end of this year, early next year,” White told TMZ in a recent interview.
As for an opponent, the TMZ reporter asked White about Jorge Masvidal. McGregor and “Gamebred” recently had a back and forth, and they are two of the biggest stars in the sport.
Well, White would prefer to see McGregor and Chandler go to war instead. As per the official UFC standings, “Iron” is ranked No. 5 in the lightweight division and McGregor sits at No. 8.
Further, after Chandler’s stunning head kick KO over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 last month, the former multiple-time Bellator 155-pound champion called out “Notorious.”
“I don’t know” White said about McGregor versus Masvidal. “I really like Chandler versus Conor after Chandler’s last fight. There’s plenty of fights to make. I don’t know if that’s the one but we’ll see what the landscape looks like when Conor comes back.”
“I’m just saying, after his (Chandler) last interview, his last fight… Conor’s ranked No. 8, he’s ranked No. 5, it makes a lot of sense right now,” White continued.
McGregor Also Appears Interested in Fighting Chandler at Some Stage
Once Chandler was finished with Ferguson on May 7, he took aim at McGregor. Iron challenged the Irishman to a fight and even stated he’d compete with him after 170 pounds.
“I’ve got one dude on my mind,” Chandler erupted. “Conor McGregor! You’ve got to come back and fight somebody. I am the most entertaining lightweight on the planet. But I want to up the stakes, Conor. I want you at your biggest. I want you at your baddest and I want you at your best.
“You and me at 170!”
Chandler’s call-out elicited a response from McGregor, who showed his interest in the contest.
“I’d have a nice knock off this guy, no doubt about it,” McGregor wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “A firework spectacle. I like the 170 shout also. Tipped him over. I’m definitely game to fight this guy at some stage in my career. I see it happening after tonight. Congrats on a solid win Michael and another barnstormer.”
McGregor Recently Said He’s ‘Excited to Get Back’ to Fighting, Shared Update
Sky Sports shared an interview with McGregor in late May. And Notorious shared his optimism that he’ll be back to full mixed martial arts training soon.
“The body is doing good. We are going to up the training bit by bit.” McGregor said to the outlet. “I have another CT scan in the coming days and then I will be clear to kick. Once I can kick and grapple, I will be back in no time. Boxing training is going well, strength training. I am excited to get back.”
Notorious also shared with the outlet that he plans on focusing on competing in the UFC rather than pursuing a boxing match.