Chael Sonnen continues to harbor significant doubts regarding the likelihood of a Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout materializing.
McGregor and Chandler’s roles as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 raised hopes for a much-anticipated comeback match between these lightweight stars. Unfortunately, an official date and venue for the potential showdown remain unconfirmed.
‘The Notorious’ has been sidelined since his leg injury in his last bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. However, McGregor’s plans to face Chandler this year were thwarted due to his failure to meet mandatory drug testing requirements set by USADA. Recent reports now suggest that McGregor has complied by submitting his samples, potentially allowing him to compete in or around April 2024.
However, Sonnen couldn’t fathom why the weight division for the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout hadn’t been finalized yet. Both had competed at 155 pounds in their last fights, but they had discussed the possibility of a welterweight and even a middleweight bout. Sonnen expressed his bewilderment in a recent interview with MMA Junkie:
“Never in history have we had a fight where we don’t have a weight class. That simply does not happen. There’s venues, there’s a lot of things – we don’t have a weight class and still don’t have a weight class. It still hasn’t been stated if Conor McGregor is going to 170 or 155 or do a catchweight. They went on Twitter and said they were going 185. I’m just sharing with you this is getting a little weird at this point.”
Conor McGregor discloses potential UFC return schedule
Conor McGregor’s return to the world of combat sports has been a highly anticipated subject of discussion, but it’s been over two years since he was last seen in action.
Recent developments suggest that ‘The Notorious’ has initiated his journey back. He made an appearance at the Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury fight, during which he was questioned about his return to the octagon. He replied:
“I came through what I came through. I’m sitting on an injury and a loss. Imagine what that [does]. You hear what Alexander Volkanovski said — I relate. I must return to my way of living. This is my job. So it’s beyond frustrating and hopefully we can be back in April. I just want the date. My date, please. That’s it.”
Check out McGregor’s comments below: