Conor McGregor insists his return to combined martial arts is imminent. McGregor, throughout a press tour for his new film “Street Home,” claimed this week that he is been in communication with UFC for a battle in opposition to Michael Chandler someday this summer time.
“We acquired affirmation a couple of days in the past that it is all programs go,” McGregor informed ESPN on Tuesday.
UFC followers have misplaced confidence within the battle materializing due to start-and-stop efforts by McGregor and Chandler to drum up curiosity. Chandler additional sophisticated the state of affairs with what appeared to be a sarcastic tweet.
“I am unsure I will be prepared for a summer time battle…this got here out of the blue,” Chandler wrote on Tuesday. “I have been out of the loop. Can y’all ask Dana [White] to substantiate this?”
However when a journalist wrote, “The quantity of individuals taking this tweet critically is… wow,” Chandler replied, “Haha! Proper?”
McGregor — who has fought as little as featherweight — beforehand posed a middleweight battle in opposition to Chandler however stated he was teasing his potential opponent. McGregor didn’t specify a date, occasion or weight class for the large battle however claimed he is been getting ready for a very long time.
“I had [my training] camp in Dubai [months ago], I had a camp in Cannes,” McGregor stated. “I used to be getting ready, after which I used to be type of getting nothing again. After which different issues got here up and I type of dipped out. However now, it is on. So, there is no messing now. I can not dip out now.”
McGregor additionally took a shot at Chandler who known as him out on the Feb. 19 episode of WWE Uncooked.
“Shut up, Michael, you f—ing imbecile,” McGregor stated. “The person does not shut up. I seen him on ‘Uncooked.’ I like Mike — I will bust him up. I will bust Mike up, yeah? If I say it, I do it. … If I say it, it will get finished. Put that on my stone.”
McGregor vs. Chandler will probably be a spectacle ought to it materialize however the construct has overstayed its welcome. The battle was first offered to followers when UFC president White introduced “The Final Fighter” season 31 in February 2023. The battle has but to be formally introduced 13 months later. McGregor claimed in January the battle would happen at UFC Worldwide Combat Week on June 29 earlier than the annual occasion was introduced by the promotion. White beforehand denied the battle was within the works for that weekend. UFC 303 would be the marquee occasion on the T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas.
McGregor revealed he had two fights left on his UFC contract. A trilogy battle in opposition to Nate Diaz on the promotion’s Mexican Independence Day occasion at The Sphere is a prime precedence.
“I believe that is an absolute perfection of a battle.
“Do we signal a brand new deal?” McGregor stated of the UFC. “Do I am going? Am I a free agent? I really like the UFC dearly. My coronary heart is within the UFC — my catalogue, my life. I really like everybody within the firm and all of the fighters and all of the occasions and all of the reveals and playing cards. I want to proceed this. How that appears, I’ve no clue.”