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Conor McGregor Deletes 'Champ-Champ' Hat Tweet, Gets UFC Rival Response

Former UFC double-champion Conor McGregor is back on the tweet-and-delete spree.

Zain Bando

Conor McGregor speaks to press on the red carpet before the premiere of Road House at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on the first day of South by Southwest, Friday, March 8, 2024. McGregor plays the character \"Knox\" in the movie.
Conor McGregor speaks to press on the red carpet before the premiere of Road House at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on the first day of South by Southwest, Friday, March 8, 2024. McGregor plays the character \"Knox\" in the movie. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former UFC double-champion Conor McGregor, who has yet to step foot in the Octagon since July 2021, is back on 'X' (formerly Twitter) again, stirring the pot for a potential grudge match with ex-TUF rival Michael Chandler.

McGregor took to social media in a since-deleted tweet Saturday showcasing him simply taking a hat labeled "champ-champ" on and off for several seconds without saying a word, tagging Chandler in the tweet before deleting it.

Although the tweet has been wiped from McGregor's timeline, it did not stop Chandler from taking a page out of McGregor's proverbial book and responding to the video, which was picked up by 'X' news account "Championship Rounds."

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Although the tweet is no longer in its original form, Chandler made his message abundantly clear that he still wants to fight McGregor, despite rumblings of him looking toward other options if McGregor didn't re-book the fight.

UFC News: Conor McGregor Threatens to Ditch Michael Chandler for an Old Rival

Will McGregor vs. Chandler Happen?

"Can’t wait to bounce your “champ champ” head off the canvas @TheNotoriousMMA - get your sh*t together so I can. "

McGregor and Chandler were supposed to fight one another as the headliner to the UFC 303 pay-per-view in June, but it was postponed when McGregor suffered a toe injury weeks before the fight. UFC CEO Dana White and no UFC staffers have confirmed whether or not the fight will be rescheduled. In an interview with TNT Sports U.K., White was last seen saying he's "not even thinking" about McGregor's return and a potential timeline for a possible Chandler fight.

Given the UFC's intentions of its autumn schedule, it leaves the McGregor-Chandler fight with one realistic option – UFC 310. Although it does not have a confirmed date, it is expected that T-Mobile Arena will host the event, as has been the case every year for the last few years at year's end in Las Vegas.

Whether the fight between McGregor and Chandler actually materializes, there continues to be no love lost between the two.

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Zain Bando

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99