McGregor-Chandler fight could be in jeopardy

Conor McGregor. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler fight could be in jeopardy

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 8/21/23

After confidently stating he would headline the UFC 296 pay-per-view on Dec. 16, former two-division champion Conor McGregor (22-6) now appears to be walking back his own comments after posting a series of audio notes on X over the weekend.

McGregor, who is scheduled to face lightweight contender Michael Chandler (23-8), is now suggesting that he’s being held back from making his return after former middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who come back from a broken leg injury similar to McGregor’s, suffered a unanimous decision loss to Brad Tavares at UFC 292 on Saturday.

“They’re not going to let me fight in December, ladies and gentlemen,” McGregor said, via MMA Junkie. “You’ve seen Chris Weidman. Imagine what that injury is. I feel like I’m being kept from my livelihood, and I’ve been feeling this for years. I’m not going to air grievances. I’m going to buoy down and soldier on. I’m ready. I wanted an announcement for Dec. 16. I’ve given everything. So, it’s not going to happen. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) knows he's fighting Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) next. He just doesn't know when. #UFC292

: @JakeNoeckerMMA #UFC #MMA #Boston #MichaelChandler #ConorMcGregor

Story: https://t.co/vYhTjWEsc4 pic.twitter.com/cLSwFCesEH
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) August 21, 2023

While fans are presumably growing impatient with the constant delays to the McGregor-Chandler fight, so is Chandler himself, who admitted that he’s settled on a rough cutoff date before moving on from McGregor and exploring other potential fights, although he made it known he wants to fight McGregor above anything else.

“I’ve got a loose deadline in my head that I’m not going to share with you,” Chandler told reporters during the UFC 292 post-fight news conference. “But we’ll flirt with that whenever we figure it out. … We’re treading lightly, and the information comes in slower than I want it to, more slower than you guys want it to, but it’s the way it’s happening, and it’s going to be Chandler vs. McGregor and it’s going to be fun.”

UFC president Dana White, who said Weidman should retire because he’s not the same fighter he was pre-injury during the UFC 292 post-fight news conference, stated during an interview with CalfKicker that he’s hoping the fight happens sometime in early 2024.

“We’re working on it,” he said. “Obviously, we’re running this whole season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ and to not do that fight would be ridiculous. I’m hoping we can do it early next year.”

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