Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC against Michael Chandler will reportedly be announced today at the UFC 300 presser.
The UFC holds the historic event on April 13, which will feature Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill in a light heavyweight title clash. McGregor’s return has been teased for some time ever since his injury and loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. The Irishman was targeting a return against Chandler. The pair have built their rivalry since their days as competing coaches on the TUF 31 series. On New Year’s Day, McGregor announced that he was facing Chandler on June 29 at 185 pounds, targeting a return for UFC 303. Dana White shut that down, while the 185-pound weight seemed unrealistic.
A summer date was then mentioned, with McGregor stating it was ‘all systems go.’ Chandler doubled down on those comments, saying there was confirmation over a fight. White finally hinted at a McGregor return, sharing a clip of the fighter captioned ‘coming soon.’
McGregor’s Return
Announcing it during the build-up for the UFC 300 presser is a logical move. It allows the UFC to build up the fight and produce another mega event. McGregor is one of the UFC’s most popular fighters and has crossover over to the casual fans. He recently made his acting debut in Road House alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
The film was released on March 21 via Amazon Prime Video. McGregor received positive reviews, as it broke Amazon streaming records, setting a viewership of 50 million globally in the first two weeks. MMA Uncensored has stated that the McGregor and Chandler clash will be announced at the presser, with both fighters on hand to do a face-off.
Harrison’s Debut
Elsewhere, Kayla Harrison will make her UFC debut at UFC 300 against Holly Holm. Harrison left the PFL to sign with the UFC, ending hopes of fighting Cris Cyborg. Kayla will fight at bantamweight for the first time in her career, as she has mostly fought at 155 pounds. There are concerns she may struggle to make the weight, although she has reassured fans that she is taking all steps to ensure she comes in healthy.
Harrison admitted that she was given an ultimatum of fighting at bantamweight or not signing with the UFC. Her last bout was a 150-pound catchweight clash in 2023 against Aspen Ladd at PFL 10. She secured a unanimous decision win, as she aims to conquer the UFC. Kayla has now turned her attention towards getting Amanda Nunes out of retirement.
They were former training partners at the American Top Team. While Harrison was in the PFL, Nunes retired following her win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 last year. If Harrison beats Holm, she will move closer to a title shot. Kayla wanted Nunes, who has also expressed her desire to fight again.
Harrison vs Nunes
“That would be fantastic. I think that, yeah I want to fight the best, she’s the GOAT for a reason and I would love for her to come back and get pissed off enough to want to come back. First things first, Saturday night, Holly Holm,” Harrison said
“I’m still young, fresh. We never know [what might happen]. We have a lot of things to do. I’ve got to figure out a bunch of things at home still, what I’m going to do and see what happens. I don’t know — we never know. I’m a fighter and this is my job. I love this so much, and I don’t know. I enjoy as well not being in the gym everyday and having a normal life, stay home a little bit and be lazy. [And] I [can’t be] lazy as a fighter, it’s very hard. But I’m still healthy and powerful, smart, think like a champion. I still feel like a champion, so we’ll see,” Nunes stated
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