Conor McGregor wants to return to UFC: possible dates and rival

Irish boxer/MMA fighter Conor McGregor has recently confirmed his return to the UFC octagon this summer after an extended period of negotiations. The former two-weight UFC champion has been out of action since July 2021 due to a leg injury he sustained in his fight against Dustin Poirier. McGregor’s upcoming opponent is set to be Michael Chandler, following their coaching roles on The Ultimate Fighter.

Despite initial skepticism about their matchup, McGregor confirmed Chandler as his next rival with a touch of cheekiness. Both fighters have expressed interest in headlining International Fight Week on June 29, and it seems likely that they will fight at the event.

“We got confirmation a few days ago that it’s all systems go and ‘The Mac’ and ‘The Notorious’ will be returning to the UFC Octagon this summer,” McGregor told ESPN MMA. The fight is scheduled at the T-Mobile Arena, the same venue where McGregor suffered his leg injury during his last fight against Dustin Poirier almost three years ago.

Starting with his return fight against Chandler in the summer, McGregor has plans to fight his old rival Nate Diaz for the third time in September and finish the year with a boxing match against Manny Pacquiao. McGregor has previously stated that two fights are left on his current contract with the promotion.

McGregor met up with his long-time coach, John Kavanagh, earlier this week in New York to discuss his UFC return. Kavanagh previously coached McGregor for his boxing debut against ring legend Floyd Mayweather in 2017 and admitted that he is not interested in McGregor’s potential boxing ring return. He’s more focused on preparing McGregor for his upcoming UFC fights.

Who is Michael Chandler?

Michael Chandler is a professional mixed martial artist from America. He competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Chandler has been fighting professionally since 2009, and he first gained recognition while competing for Bellator MMA from 2010 to 2020.

He has been a three-time Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion and has notable victories over former UFC champions Benson Henderson and Eddie Alvarez. Currently, Chandler is ranked as the #5 lightweight in the official UFC rankings and could be a challenging and equal opponent, considering his fighting characteristics to McGregor.