Michael Chandler claims he's putting Conor McGregor on the back burner, at least for now. The American is scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy on the historic UFC White House card , set for June 14th, while he's watching McGregor's preparation from afar , his former target. Given this scenario, the former Bellator champion is adopting a pragmatic approach and focusing exclusively on his next fight, leaving the future open.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Chandler indicated that, despite believing a potential fight with McGregor is still likely to happen, he no longer harbors any emotional attachment to the rivalry at this point. The American highlighted that the entire trajectory surrounding the possible duel has become a long and exhausting saga over the past few years.
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“It’s funny, man: me against Conor, whether it was on 'The Ultimate Fighter' in the preparation, then the training camp, then the fight itself and the possible rescheduling, it was all a saga of ups and downs for a good part of a few years… Whether Conor and I are going to fight in the UFC or not, at some point we’re going to compete against each other, somewhere, somehow,” said Michael Chandler.
Now, away from that scenario, he emphasizes that his priority is the fight against Mauricio Ruffy , for which he projects a resounding victory before evaluating the next steps in his career, including the long-awaited fight against McGregor.
“I don’t really have any emotions about it, and maybe that’s because I’m focused on Mauricio Ruffy at the White House. I’m going to knock out Mauricio Ruffy on the White House lawn and then we’ll see what happens. As big as that was, as involved as I was, I feel like I’m a million miles away from that now,” concluded the former Bellator champion.
Conor McGregor faces Max Holloway at UFC 329
After years of hinting at a possible return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship octagon, Conor McGregor finally has a date and opponent set. Although Michael Chandler persistently sought this fight, the chosen opponent for the Irishman will be Max Holloway . The duel is scheduled for UFC 329 , on July 11th, during the traditional International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
McGregor's last appearance in the octagon was in July 2021, when he was defeated by Dustin Poirier in the fight that concluded their trilogy. Since then, the former champion has not competed again. His most recent victory was in January 2020, when he defeated Donald Cerrone.
Conor McGregor did not appear at UFC 303.
Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler arguing on TUF 31 (Photo: Instagram/UFC)
UFC 329 will not be the organization's first attempt to promote McGregor's return. The Irishman was scheduled to face Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 , but was ultimately removed from the card due to a toe injury.
At the time, McGregor was replaced by Alex Poatan , who knocked out Jiri Prochazka with a high kick and defended the light heavyweight title (up to 93 kg).
Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.
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