Michael Chandler is still holding out hope for a fight with Conor McGregor – even after more than two years of waiting for a booking.
It was February of 2023 when he and McGregor were confirmed to coach on The Ultimate Fighter season 31, which they had completed by the end of August that year. They were due to fight in June of last year at UFC 303, but a broken toe forced the Irishman to withdraw.
Chandler has since gone on to fight twice, but it is believed that he left prime years on the table by waiting for his octagon comeback. His two fights since have been defeats to Charles Oliveira and most recently Paddy Pimblett, who brutalized him in a stoppage victory.
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Michael Chandler hits back at Conor McGregor’s White House fight offer
President Donald Trump announced this week that the UFC would be hosting a world championship fight night on the White House lawn next year. The news immediately caught the eye of some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Jon Jones who has now given up on his retirement and Conor McGregor.
The Irishman hasn’t fought since the summer of 2021, but has been medically cleared for years and is keen to make an eventual return. Since President Trump’s announcement, he has posted multiple messages about making a comeback at the White House.
He even shared an AI-generated photo of he and Michael Chandler facing off, intimating that the pair could finally settle their feud. And his rival seems very keen on the idea, sharing the same photo and asking fans their opinions.
“Anybody fancy a good old-fashioned, passionate red, white and blue a– whoopin’ on the lawn of the White House?” He asked followers, who have joked that he may be driven mad by waiting for the McGregor fight.
Conor McGregor believes White House fight will finally lure him back to UFC
McGregor appears to be feeling particularly good about this rare opportunity to fight away from Las Vegas in a brand new setting. He famously headlined the first UFC event in New York nine years ago, and would be excited to get the chance to break even more new ground for the sport.
In a message last night, he admitted that other comeback efforts may not have fully grasped him, but the opportunity to fight at the White House would properly motivate him to make a return. “Accuracy is final,” he wrote in a lengthy post, where he also revealed he has rare 20/10 vision in one eye.
“I’ve most KO’s of all by a long shot and I’ve been chilling on my yachts the last 4 years. To return at the White House with my sniper accuracy would be a very intriguing offer and would bring me back in to focus on my return correctly. Vote McGregor.”