BREAKING: Dana White reveals likely opponent for Conor McGregor's return

Conor McGregor will likely face 'Iron' Michael Chandler on his return to the UFC octagon, according to Dana White.

In an interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, the UFC president reportedly confirmed that McGregor will not be retiring anytime soon and that the Irishman still sees himself actively competing in the sport after his horrible leg fracture at UFC 264.

A producer at ESPN, Charlie Moynihan, broke the news first, tweeting out:

"And @TheNotoriousMMA next fight is likely against @MikeChandlerMMA."

Check out the tweet below:

Charlie Moynihan

@MoynihanCharles

And @TheNotoriousMMA next fight is likely against @MikeChandlerMMA twitter.com/moynihancharle…

Charlie Moynihan

@MoynihanCharles

.⁦@danawhite⁩ tells ⁦@bokamotoESPN⁩ “he is not retiring anytime soon but can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

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.⁦@danawhite⁩ tells ⁦@bokamotoESPN⁩ “he is not retiring anytime soon but can see the light at the end of the tunnel.” https://t.co/XNqspOPQRt

And @TheNotoriousMMA next fight is likely against @MikeChandlerMMA twitter.com/moynihancharle…

While the full interview has not been officially released yet, the tweet basically confirms what a lot of MMA fans already suspected. There was little chance of the UFC's biggest superstar ignoring someone with hype like Chandler.

'Iron' has earned himself quite a bit of respect among fans with his blockbuster fighting style and will match well against McGregor stylistically without a doubt. Both are explosive strikers with a penchant for entertaining the fans.

Following his spectacular front-kick knockout of Tony Ferguson, Chandler emphatically called out 'The Notorious' in his octagon interview.

UFC

@ufc

[ @MikeChandlerMMA | #UFC274 ]

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👀 👀 👀

[ @MikeChandlerMMA | #UFC274 ] https://t.co/0QmtV9bzOp

Conor McGregor is on a two-fight losing streak to Dustin Poirier, fracturing his leg in his last outing against the Louisiana native. The Irishman will also likely fight at welterweight next if his social media posts are anything to go by. His last victory came against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

Michael Chandler is just 2-3 in the UFC and is coming off a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281.

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When Michael Chandler made his case to fight Conor McGregor for his first fight back after injury

Michael Chandler has been keen on fighting Conor McGregor for a while now. From interview to interview, the American has missed no opportunity to put his name out there as the Irishman's next fight.

'Iron' has delivered riveting performances ever since he's been signed by the UFC in 2020 and he knows it. In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Chandler said:

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"I do think that’s the fight to make. When you’re talking about Conor McGregor being on the other side of this two-person engagement that we have to get into, Conor’s got every opportunity on the entire planet at his disposal... If he does want to come back, who the heck else do you want to be standing on the other side of the octagon than me, right now, at this juncture?"

Watch the full interview below:

It remains to be seen when McGregor will be cleared to compete inside the octagon. Recovering from a traumatic injury such as a leg break can often cause a plethora of complications on the road to recovery.

Considering the value he adds to the promotion as a whole, the UFC will hope McGregor is in the best shape possible before making his return to the octagon.

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