So, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is a go?
Last week, Michael Chandler still had aspirations about fighting the former UFC Lightweight Champion at the White House.
“I think we’re closer now than we ever have been,” Chandler told MMA Fighting about McGregor actually fighting again. “I’ve always said if you’re a betting man, don’t put money on him necessarily coming back but now this changes things a lot. In my heart of hearts, I think I’m fighting Conor McGregor at the White House and that sure does make a ton of sense for a multitude of reasons.”
The 39-year-old spent the better part of two years chasing a fight against Conor McGregor and though a bout was made official at UFC 303, nothing ever came to fruition.
Chandler finally moved on. So did Conor. In fact, it seemed that Conor was going into politics. But the UFC star recently squashed those dreams by confirming that he will not be running for Presidency in Ireland. That opened the door back into MMA and Conor has been vocal about coming back for the White House event. He’s never given any names who he plans on fighting next, but once Chandler put out his statement, Conor has backed the idea of McGregor vs. Chandler.
“The Mac is excited to get back for sure. I’m on [the White House card],” McGregor said on Fox & Friends. “This is me.
“[I’m fighting] Michael Chandler. Michael Chandler and myself have done the show The Ultimate Fighter, we’ve had a good back and forth. He’s a good, tough guy.”
Are we actually going to get Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler in 2026? It is genuinely possible. Even Dana White confirmed how serious McGregor is about the White House card.
"So, Conor says he's coming back," White said on IMPAULSIVE. "He's in the [testing] pool. There's tons of footage of him training. You know, he wants to fight on this White House card. We'll see. I mean, we won't start building that card until February."
Until those two are actually inside of the cage then seeing is believing. But given that Conor seems to have little distractions outside of MMA right now, this fight could actually happen. We’ll find out soon.