The end appears to finally be in sight for Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC, with the Irishman announcing he will face Michael Chandler in June during International Fight Week.
The 35-year-old revealed the news on New Year's Day after promising to make an announcement at the end of last year, although the UFC has yet to confirm the fight.
Who will Conor McGregor fight in 2024?
The future of the former two-division champion has been the source of speculation ever since McGregor's last appearance in the octagon ended in brutal fashion during a second-straight defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021.
MORE: Conor McGregor re-enters testing pool as UFC splits from USADA
McGregor has endured a lengthy absence from the sport following the loss at UFC 264, where he broke his left tibia and fibular at the end of the first round of his trilogy fight against ‘The Diamond’.
"I talked to Conor today," White said on an Instagram Live in late December as rumours of his return ramped up.
"We talked tonight. He and I will get something figured out soon. We’re talking."
McGregor has repeatedly expressed his frustration at his inactivity and has claimed to have been ready for a return for some time as his stint on the sideline now approaches three years.
"Give me something," McGregor said back in November while attending the crossover fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou.
"I was supposed to be back in April, I was supposed to be back in December.
"No one has ever been treated like this. For all the figures I've brought in this game, I sell more than all of them combined.
"No one in the history of the fight game has ever been treated the way I’ve been getting treated at the minute. They should open the f***ing floodgates for me."
A meeting with Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has often been touted as the most likely route back, and it now appears that this will occur for what McGregor termed would be "the greatest comeback of all time".
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023
Prior to McGregor's announcement of the fight, the American appeared to have grown impatient with the delay in finalising the bout.
The No.5 ranked lightweight contender has been out of action since his submission loss to Poirier and has now voiced his displeasure about the situation on both social media and during a recent interview on Steve-O’s Wild Ride! Podcast.
"I think right now he’s trying to wait me out," Chandler said.
"I mean, because if you were him, would you want to wait as long as possible for the guy like me, who’s a real fighter, who wants to be in there, who wants to compete so that I say, ‘Screw it, I’m going to go fight someone else,’ and then he can go fight an easier fight, Nate Diaz.
"He can go fight an easier fight, Tony Ferguson. He can go find a much easier fight than fighting me."
Imagine saying it, “the greatest comeback in combat sports history” and then doing a whole sham of a documentary about it, and then never coming back. @TheNotoriousMMA
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) December 29, 2023
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McGregor FORGOTTEN.
McGregor squared off as a coach against Chandler during season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, which led many to believe that the fight was a certainty.
Will Conor McGregor fight at UFC 300?
Anticipation continues to build around the promotion’s showpiece event at UFC 300 with White having long since promised an extravaganza in April. There have been just three fights announced so far.
"I did announce fights for UFC 300," White said on Instagram.
"I told you, there’s more coming this week…There will be more fights for 300 announced this week. I’ll have a bunch more this week for 300 to let you guys in on.
"Not the main event, I won’t have the main event yet. Waiting on the main event."
McGregor had been touted to headline the card in Las Vegas as he chases his first win inside the octagon since January 2020 when he beat Donald Cerrone.
However, he is now set to appear two months after UFC 300 when he takes on Chandler on June 29th.