Conor McGregor claims he is 'out of the loop' on UFC return as Dana White deals comeback blow and sets new fight for Michael Chandler

14/09/2024 07:31

Conor McGregor has declared that he is ‘out of the loop’ with the UFC after his comeback fight was thrown into further disarray last night.

The legendary two-weight world champion was in Florida last night when news broke via Barstool Sports’ Spinnin’ Elbow show that Michael Chandler would not be his comeback opponent. The pair agreed to fight two years ago, and even coached against each other on The Ultimate Fighter.

But after allowing his career to stagnate for the past few years, Chandler has opted to go for one last ‘title run’, which kicks off on November 16 as he rematches Charles Oliveira at UFC 309. This leaves McGregor, the promotion’s biggest ever name, in the lurch.

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Michael Chandler books new fight as Conor McGregor comeback thrown into disarray

After two years out of action, many fans and pundits questioned whether or not it was wise for Michael Chandler to wait on a fight with Conor McGregor. The pair had finally inked a date for UFC 303 in June, but that bout was canceled on a few weeks’ notice when the Irishman broke his toe in training.

Now, he has opted to begin a new run towards the lightweight world title, taking on former world champion and ex-opponent Charles Oliveira. The pair will meet at Madison Square Garden at UFC 309, the same venue where he last competed against Dustin Poirier.

“I got more promo, more eyeballs, more of everything in the last year-and-a-half than I would have got in three fights,” Chandler explained in a YouTube video detailing the situation. “Now I get to take a title run; I beat Charles Oliveira and I become the number one contender.

“I beat Charles Oliveira, I can choose to go and fight Islam [Makhachev] or Arman [Tsarukyan], I believe it’s going to be Islam. Or, Conor could finally get his house in order and put together a training camp and show up to a fight. Then maybe I go fight Conor and we finish The Ultimate Fighter 31.”

Conor McGregor calls in Turki Alsheikh amid concerns over his next fight

Conor McGregor was injured before his comeback fight at UFC 303, and forced out of action for long enough to postpone the bout. But he returned to training this week, and insists that he is now ready to get back in the cage as soon as December.

He has even called in boxing supremo Turki Alalsheikh, who is sponsoring UFC 306 this weekend, to help him get a new date. McGregor claims to be “out of the loop” regarding his eventual fight date, and even refused to rule out fighting Chandler once the Oliveira fight is over.

"I got tested this evening. I got tested today by the Drug Free Sport agency," McGregor told media last night after BKFC 66 in Hollywood, Florida. "I'm the most tested athlete on the roster by more than twice the amount. I believe I'm maybe tested 13 times, the amount of seconds it took me to finish Jose Aldo.

“Actually, funny enough, Jose Aldo is number two in the testing. I think he's been tested six times. So I've been tested more than twice all these other athletes, yet I struggle to get a date. So, I've talked to Sheikh Turki (Alalshikh), and said, 'Sheikh Turki, can you assist me here?’

"As far as Chandler rematching Oliviera, I'm happy with the date; it's November. Maybe we can still do it after if they're not going to line me up out till maybe December, January, February – one of these dates. Maybe we can still do it.

"I'm just out of the loop with it, you know? All I can do is carry on, doing what I'm doing. I test under the testing administration, I train daily, and that's it. Let's see what happens. Hopefully, it all comes to fruition."

Conor McGregor fires heated rant at Michael Chandler following re-booking

That more reasonable-sounding McGregor was a different beast from the one who showed up on social media around the same time, however. The Irishman claimed that Chandler had watched his sparring footage, and run from the new date.

“Chandler saw that takedown getting stuffed and mauled and officially dipped,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Little Fat P****. I'm at the hard rock hotel Florida for the bare knuckle tonight. Got tested earlier today by DFSI. Give me my f***ing date!”

Chandler lefta cryptic message of his own shortly after, noting that he was simply going to back his own future. “Bet on yourself,” he wrote, with a hashtag for UFC 309.

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