Dana White has insisted that Conor McGregor will fight Michael Chandler next, despite the Irishman’s recent back-and-forth with Justin Gaethje.
It was announced in February that McGregor would fight Chandler this year, though no date, location or weight class for the bout has been announced in the time since.
Meanwhile, McGregor traded barbs with Gaethje in the aftermath of UFC 291 in July, after the American knocked out Dustin Poirier with a stunning head kick. McGregor, a former dual-weight champion in the UFC, has continued to hit out at Gaethje, but White has said Chandler will not miss out on his chance to face “Notorious”.
“I talked to Conor either yesterday or the day before, and yeah, he’s ready to fight,” the UFC president said on Tuesday (8 August).
“I said, ‘Listen, get in shape and let’s figure this out.’
“[It’s] definitely Chandler. He likes to f*** with everybody, you know what I mean? Especially his opponent, or possible opponents.”
McGregor last fought in July 2021, suffering a second straight loss to Poirier. McGregor, 35, had been knocked out by the American in January of the same year, and he suffered a broken leg in their July encounter.
Meanwhile, Chandler, 37, has not fought since November, when he was submitted by Poirier.
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