Michael Chandler gives surprising update on Conor McGregor fight: “New date loading”

It seems that UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler is still full steam ahead on a fight with Conor McGregor.

The two stars were set to finally collide at UFC 303 over the weekend in Las Vegas. For Michael Chandler, the fight is one that he’s been waiting a long, long time for. The two coached The Ultimate Fighter last summer, with the hope of fighting in late 2023. However, due to Conor McGregor’s ‘Road House’ movie obligations, the date was shifted to this summer.

However, UFC 303 didn’t go according to plan. Two weeks before fight day, Conor McGregor withdrew due to a broken toe. While Michael Chandler was linked to a short-notice bout with Max Holloway, that failed to come to fruition. Instead, Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2 was shifted to be the main event of that pay-per-view card.

Michael Chandler still attended UFC 303 anyway but as a fan. While Conor McGregor announced plans to return in August or September, those plans received pushback from Dana White. Furthermore, Chandler himself seemingly had a change of heart. In the last few weeks, the lightweight has instead shown interest in booking a ‘BMF’ title bout with Max Holloway.

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Big, big weekend of talks and clarity. New date loading…

— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) July 1, 2024

Michael Chandler gives update on Conor McGregor fight after UFC 303

Well, it seems that plans have again changed. Earlier today, Michael Chandler took to X, where he seemingly gave an update on his planned fight with Conor McGregor. There, the former Bellator lightweight champion stated that talks in Vegas went well and that a new fight date is on the way.

As of now, it’s unclear when Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler could actually happen. While the two stars might want to fight later this year, it’s unclear where they will fit in the UFC’s schedule. Also, as previously stated, Dana White shot down the possibility of the Irishman fighting in August, September, or October earlier this week.

However, in the ever-changing world of the UFC, nothing is finite. Take a look at this past weekend’s UFC 303 event for example. That card had its co-main event changed on just a few hours notice, with Dan Ige coming in off the street to fight Diego Lopes after Brian Ortega became ill.

What do you make of this UFC news? Do you believe Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler will actually happen?