Michael Chandler provides latest update on potential Conor McGregor bout: “This fight is happening”

Michael Chandler, the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, made his UFC debut at UFC 257 and has quickly become one of the most exciting fighters in the promotion. However, he has not fought since UFC 281 but coached against ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor in the 31st season of the Ultimate Fighter reality series.

McGregor and Chandler have been rumored to fight inside the octagon for quite some time now, but there has not been an official confirmation. In a recent interview on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour, Chandler provided updates on the potential fight. See what it is below.

Michael Chandler discusses potential Conor Mcgregor bout

Michael Chandler confirmed on the MMA Hour that his fight with Conor McGregor is indeed happening in 2024. “This is the fight that is happening. I can’t tell you a date, I can’t tell you a weight, but I can tell you the fight is happening, and I have way too many assurances that this fight is happening to think otherwise,” Chandler remarked of the surety of the fight happening.

Chandler also spoke of the things that have complicated the fight to happen. “Conor’s got his stuff going on. He’s now promoting Roadhouse that’s coming out in March. You know, obviously, there was the USADA stuff and then now the new drug testing stuff,” Chandler added. “Money complicates things. There’s a lot of money involved in this fight…So, it has complicated things,” Chandler further added.

Michael Chandler also revealed the conversation he had with the UFC brass when he signed up to fight McGregor. “The conversation I had with Dana and Hunter, and they’re like, ‘Hey, this is going to be something different than you’ve ever done before. This is not like booking a regular fight,'”said Chandler, revealing that he knew what he was in for when he signed up to fight the sport’s biggest superstar.

Chandler and McGregor had flirted with the idea of headlining UFC 300 on social media before Dana White recently announced Jamahal Hill and Alex Pereira as the headliners. Moreover, McGregor had initially revealed a June 29 date for his return but White later remarked that the UFC looks for a September return.

Michael Chandler shares first WWE experience

Michael Chandler was recently in attendance at Monday Night Raw of WWE where he even called out his nemesis Conor McGregor. The UFC lightweight fighter was impressed by the performance of the WWE superstars and he spoke of them in high regard in his interview on the MMA Hour.

“I don’t think they(WWE superstars) get enough credit…I’m absolutely blown away, especially being that close, watching these bodies fly and flip and slam and smack, and the bodies hitting the floor, literally,” Chandler revealed the exhilarating experience he had at Monday Night Raw. “Man, these guys, they don’t get enough credit, crazy athletes, and a heck of a show,” Chandler further praised the WWE superstars.

“The UFC puts on a great show. WWE, I got to say too, man, some of these guys walking out, the entire crowd is chanting, they’re singing along, they’ve got pyrotechnics,” Chandler spoke of the production quality of WWE which he found to be on par with the UFC.

Chandler was so impressed by the walkouts in WWE with pyrotechnics that he even asked the UFC to do similar things for himself. Interestingly, Chandler had a conversation with Paul Levesque a.k.a Triple H that fueled speculations of a crossover.

Do you think Conor McGregor will be fighting Michael Chandler? Leave your thoughts below!