Michael Chandler's wait for Conor McGregor may actually pay off.
The UFC lightweight contender hasn't fought in nearly two years, having last fought against Dustin Poirier at UFC 281. Since then, all eyes have been on McGregor when the two fighters meet on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2023. Preparations for their fight have not yet been announced by the UFC.
Earlier this week, 'The Notorious' announced the timing of his long-awaited return, and his intended opponent Chandler confirmed it.
“There's been an official announcement. It's happening this summer,” Chandler told TMZ. “I can't give you the actual date, but it's going to take place this summer. Me vs. Conor, obviously this took a year to make on The Ultimate Fighter, and he's obviously in the 'Road House' movies and all that.” That's right, this summer is here. I'm ready, baby.
“The official status is, yes, we have an agreement. We are fighting this summer. I will let the court of public opinion guess what the date will be, but it will give us a period of time to fight. is definitely this summer. It's always been that way, Conor and I… we always knew, no matter what the media or tweets or statements were, it was going to be Conor. So it's been an interesting ride. It's been a fun ride. That's what I signed up for. But now he's getting pretty close. Really close. He's starting to train. He's starting to train, so we're going to play against him this summer. So it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“Ironman” Mike is approaching the biggest match of his life, but he still hasn't been able to decide on a date. The agreed upon bout between McGregor and Chandler is rumored to take place at UFC 303 in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 29th during International Fight Week.
#Today's workout – Shoulder complex: high, wide, and posterior. @getbifuel
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Let's walk.
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See you at the top! pic.twitter.com/nShEywDM3V— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) March 22, 2024
What about heavyweights? Chandler is still unsure what division Superfight falls into, but ultimately he doesn't really care. The former Bellator champion just wants to fight.
“We love to keep everything up in the air, right?” Chandler said when asked about the weight class of the matchup. “We're talking about 85 minutes, we're talking about 70 minutes. We're not talking about 55 minutes, we're talking about 85 or 70 minutes. And obviously I'm speaking out. I kept the same energy, the same emotions, just the same overall funny at any time, any place, any weight, any guy, right?
“People sometimes misinterpret that, like, 'If you really want a night in red panties, you can always fight this guy.' And it's like, no, that doesn't matter. Conor and I… We've always been about the same size. Weight class doesn't matter because we've always fought in the same weight class. All that matters is that competition within mixed martial arts is limited under a certain set of rules. I’m going to go out there and remove his head and get his hands up.”
Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler both expect the UFC to announce fight news soon for their long-awaited matchup.
