It could be at least six more months until fight fans see Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, forecasts UFC CEO Dana White.
The long-awaited matchup has been targeted for more than a year, and there’s no definite finish line, White revealed during an appearance Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
White also disputed fight date rumors that stemmed from McGregor’s announcement it will take place June 29 in Las Vegas.
“Eventually,” White said. “Hopefully this year. There is no date. I’m hoping for the fall, (that we can) get it done in the fall.”
McGregor and Chandler have been aligned since 2023, as McGregor publicly teased a return to competition following a broken leg suffered in 2021. McGregor and Chandler coached “The Ultimate Fighter 31” opposite one another, with the indication from the fighters and promotion that the matchup would be announced by the end of the season’s airing.
However, delays continued, as McGregor entered the USADA testing pool in late 2023 and was referenced when the anti-doping organization announced it’s split from the UFC shortly thereafter.
White, as well as UFC chief operating officer Hunter Campbell and senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky, have maintained McGregor will have to partake in six months of testing prior to his return. That six-month period would conclude in April.
Chandler has not competed since November 2022 as he awaits the McGregor “money fight.”
