Conor McGregor claims UFC isn’t interested in Michael Chandler matchup, ‘Iron’ responds

The highly anticipated Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout may be in jeopardy. The Irishman recently claimed that the UFC wasn’t keen on making their matchup a reality and have other plans for his long-awaited return. 

McGregor has been away from the octagon since July 2021, recuperating from a nasty leg fracture he suffered against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Earlier this year, the promotion roped him in to coach on The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler. After the season concludes, the two explosive strikers are expected to face off in the cage. 

While many looked forward to Conor McGregor returning to action against an opponent as dynamic as Chandler, the Irishman has been dismissive of their anticipated matchup of late. Over the past two weeks, Mcgregor has called out Justin Gaethje, Nate Diaz, Charles Oliveira, and even Floyd Mayweather.

In a now-deleted tweet, Conor McGregor surprisingly claimed that the UFC wasn’t interested in making the Michael Chandler fight. He wrote:

“I’ll do it if they want, no prob. I don’t think they want him no more tho. There’s loads of juicy fights around, and my return date is my return date. I never gave a f**k about who it was. Ever. I’ll fight anyone. I’ll even fly them to me, ask [Paul] Malinaggi. Flown in and bet around.”

Michael Chandler responds to Conor McGregor dismissing their fight

Michael Chandler recently reacted to Conor McGregor’s latest tweet dismissing their anticipated bout. While ‘The Notorious’ confidently claimed the UFC wasn’t keen on it, ‘Iron’ is confident the fight will materialize. 

It’s no surprise that Chandler has been looking forward to facing McGregor in the cage. Given their striking pedigrees, it’s safe to assume a meeting between them will guarantee fireworks in the cage. However, the UFC has issued no official confirmation about the fight. 

Nevertheless, the former Bellator lightweight champion is confident their fight will go through. Implying that the Irishman wasn’t telling the whole truth, Chandler tweeted:

“This dude… I remember when his words held an immense amount of weight. Just tell the truth.”

In a follow-up tweet, ‘Iron’ predicted a second-round knockout victory in their bout. He wrote:

“Second round KO. Break his will in the first. Finish in the second.”

While Conor McGregor is expected to make his return to action this year, his reluctance to enter the USADA testing pool has made things difficult. It remains to be seen when and against whom the former two-division champion returns.