Recently, we received the news of Conor McGregor making his much-anticipated return. As per UFC President Dana White, Conor will return as a coach opposite Michael Chandler in Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” According to sources, the show will precede their eventual showdown later this year.
Thus, fans are hyped to witness Conor make his return, that too against a fan-friendly fighter like Michael Chandler. Moreover, Chandler has been vocal about fighting McGregor, who he considers one of the UFC’s biggest stars. Following his win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, Chandler yet again called out McGregor and now, his prayers seem to have been answered.
Ever since the announcement, we were yet to hear anything from the Irishman’s side. Other than a snarky response to Chandler’s fight prediction, Conor has not said much about the matchup, that is, until now. Outside his Dublin pub, Black Forge Inn, reporters were able to get a few comments out of the former double champ.
Speaking about the matchup, Conor seems pretty excited himself. “Looking forward to it. Looking forward to it. Feeling good, feeling energetic, feeling ready. You know, I’m throwing up my high kicks faster than I’m throwing up my jabs. So I’m pretty excited to get back, alright.”
Dana White announces it will be McGregor, Chandler as TUF coaches, and they’ll fight at the end of the season, which begins in May.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 4, 2023
Further, “The Notorious” revealed that he is also on his way to Las Vegas, presumably for the shooting of TUF. As per Dana White, TUF 31 is set to premiere on May 30th and will run through Tuesday, August 15th.
When will Conor McGregor fight Michael Chandler?
As is the tradition, the two coaches headline the PPV following the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter season. Most recently, we’ve seen this with Alexander Volkanovski vs Brian Ortega at TUF 29, and Amanda Nunes vs Juliana Pena at TUF 30. Thus, it is assumed that the coaches for TUF 31 should be stepping into the Octagon for an upcoming 2023 PPV.
McGREGOR vs CHANDLER IS CONFIRMED!!@TheNotoriousMMA and @MikeChandlerMMA will officially coach the next season of #TUF31! pic.twitter.com/effjf0Rg2M
— UFC (@ufc) February 4, 2023
However, at this point in time, we do not have an official confirmation for the fight. Depending on when the show wraps up, and the UFC’s schedule in August, we’ll be seeing a more likely date for the showdown. Moreover, there are reports that McGregor is yet to enter USADA’s drug-testing pool.
According to USADA protocols, Conor will have to step into the testing pool six months prior to competing again in the UFC. During that time, the Irishman needs to pass at least two drug tests to be allowed to fight. Thus, this is another factor that will play a role in determining when the fight takes place.
Conor McGregor has not re-entered the USADA drug-testing pool as of today, according to the agency. USADA reiterated that he would need to be in the pool for six months and pass at least two drug tests to compete again in the UFC.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) February 4, 2023
Previously, there were many rumors that Conor is using steroids in order to hasten his recovery. At UFC 264, Conor broke his leg in the second round of his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. Coincidentally, Mike Chandler is also coming off a loss to Poirier, a third-round submission defeat at UFC 281.
Despite the tentative nature of the fight, there is no doubt it will be one of the UFC’s biggest-ever PPVs. As such, who do you think wins this fight? Will Conor return as a fighter reborn or will Chandler prove too much for the Irishman to handle? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.