Dana White Provides Update on Status of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
Dana White knows fans are desperate for an update on a fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, and he’s hoping the matchup can finally be put together while the new season of The Ultimate Fighter airs.
The news that McGregor and Chandler would be coaching opposite one another on Season 31 of TUF immediately created more hype around the show than for any season in recent memory. With filming for the season complete and the first episode set to air later this month, the UFC has already started to whet fan's appetites with clips of the two fighters going at it.
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There’s been little progress on actually booking a fight between McGregor and Chandler for later this year, and at the UFC Charlotte post-fight press conference White was asked if he had any new updates to share regarding the matchup.
“I don’t know, I don't know.” White said. "That’s the most-asked question I’m getting right now. Obviously, the season of The Ultimate Fighter airs soon, and then during that season we will be working very hard to put that fight together.”
Chandler has kept a fairly active schedule since joining the UFC from Bellator in 2021, and the 37-year-old has already netted four post-fight bonuses from his five fights in the promotion. Both he and McGregor are coming off losses to former Interim Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier, however “The Notorious” is closing in on two years out of the cage after he suffered a broken leg in his trilogy fight with Poirier at UFC 264.
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McGregor’s role as a coach on TUF was an encouraging step for his return to action, but one remaining obstacle is the fact that the Irishman has been out of the USADA testing pool while recovering from his leg injury. Fighters on the UFC roster need to be in that pool for at least six months prior to stepping into the cage, but McGregor doesn’t seem to be in any rush to subject himself to the organization’s drug testing protocols.
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