Michael Chandler confirmed that he will be fighting Conor McGregor this summer.
After nearly a year of teasing a showdown with the Irishman, Iron Mike told TMZ that both parties and the UFC agreed to make the fight happen this year.
‘I’ve got the official announcement,’ Chandler told TMZ. ‘It’s happening this summer.’
‘The official status is we have an agreement- we’re fighting this summer,’ he added. ‘We’ll let the court of public opinion speculate on what the date is, but it’s definitely this summer. We’re giving you a window that we’re gonna be fighting in.’
While both McGregor and Chandler have mentioned the fight this week, the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
Michael Chandler confirmed his fight against Conor McGregor is happening this summer
McGregor is currently on a press tour to promote the movie ‘Roadhouse’ with Jake Gyllenhaal
On March 19, McGregor told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi: ‘We got the confirmation a few days ago. It’s all systems go, and the Notorious will be returning to the UFC Octagon this summer.’
While campaigning for the fight, McGregor starred as ‘Knox’ in the Roadhouse remake with Jake Gyllenhaal. The film was released on Amazon Prime on March 21 as McGregor and Gyllenhaal embarked on a press tour to promote it.
Additionally, McGregor has raised suspicions of drug use with his erratic behavior during interviews. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the former two-division champion appeared to be involuntarily spasming as his eyes looked low and puffed.
In 2023, the UFC picked McGregor and Chandler as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter
McGregor has previously asked to fight Chandler in June and Nate Diaz in September
The Notorious has not stepped in the Octagon since breaking his tibia and losing his trilogy to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. After recovering, he expressed his desire to fight Chandler on International Fight Week in June and Nate Diaz on Mexican Independence Day.
Like McGregor, Chandler lost to Poirier in his last fight in November 2022. While ranked as the No 6 lightweight in the UFC, Chandler has held off on fighting to welcome McGregor back to the Octagon.
The UFC has been adamant about the matchup and placed McGregor and Chandler as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter in 2023. However, the organization has yet to make the fight materialize.
