A star on the card for UFC 300 is targeting a shot at Conor McGregor later this year with just a week to go until the huge card in Las Vegas.
McGregor has been out of action in the UFC for close to three hours following a number of setbacks due to various reasons, including a lengthy lay off from injury breaking his leg in 2021.
Yet the 35-year-old is at last set for a return to the octagon, and is slated to take on Michael Chandler in June this year, renewing their acquaintance.
After nearly a year of teasing a showdown with the Irishman, Iron Mike told TMZ that both parties and the UFC had 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.’
Conor McGregor has been offered an alternate comeback fight to Michael Chandler (right)
McGregor has been out of action since breaking his leg in a clash with Dustin Poirier in 2021
However Charles Oliveira’s trainer Diego Lima has now offered the Brazilian as a potential opponent for McGregor.
Lima delivered a somewhat scathing review of Chandler’s ability to draw as big an audience as some of the sport’s other leading names, given he has been also out on the sidelines for around 18 months.
‘Sucks, right? With all due respect to Chandler, I’m not taking anything away from him, but what is his history in the UFC?’ Lima told MMA Fighting.
‘How many fights did he do in the UFC? Of course, he sells, he has a name, I agree with that, but [Justin] Gaethje, [Dustin] Poirier, Charles, [Islam] Makhachev, they all have done more than Chandler in the UFC.
‘Way more. So I don’t know if this fight will sell. Chandler kept waiting for McGregor and people forgot about Chandler.
‘Meanwhile, people are working. Gaethje is putting on wars, Poirier is putting on wars, Charles is putting on wars, Arman is putting on wars, Makhachev is putting on wars.
‘Unfortunately, it makes this Chandler vs McGregor fight sell less and less because it will be all about McGregor and not a bit about Chandler.
‘Charles sells more than Chandler. If Charles fights McGregor now, f***, in my opinion, that would stop the fight world. It would stop it.’
MMA star Oliveira is a former lightweight champion in the UFC – with UFC 300 seeing as many as 10 former or current belt-holders in action – and has the record in the franchise for the most submissions.
Charles Oliveira’s coach Diego Lima has suggested a bout between the two later this year
Oliveira is a former lightweight champion in the UFC and has the most submissions in the franchise’s history
Oliveira saw an 11-fight win streak ended by Islam Makhachev in October 2022, but got back to winning ways last time out in summer last year, stopping Baneil Dariush in the first round of their UFC 289 clash.
Oliveira does face a challenge in getting a fight on the cards, though, with McGregor and Chandler already slated to reignite their rivalry at UFC 303 in June.
McGregor has not fought since breaking his tibia in a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
After recovering from his injury, McGregor began campaigning for a return fight while taking the time off to work on other projects, such as the movie Road House.
