Chael Sonnen intrigued by Conor McGregor seemingly wanting to fight on Mexican Independence Day weekend - "I don't know what the backstory there is"
Conor McGregor's desire to fight at UFC 306, which takes place two days before Mexican Independence Day, has piqued Chael Sonnen's interest. The former UFC title challenger touched on the topic on his latest YouTube video. He specifically wants to understand why McGregor wants to fight at UFC 306.
The event is expected to feature several of the UFC's marquee Mexican names. Meanwhile, the Irishman clearly isn't Mexican nor does he have any meaningful connection to the country. So in Sonnen's mind, it's unclear why exactly McGregor wants to feature on the 306 card. He said:
"I don't know the rules on this Mexican Independence Day and our level of celebration here. I just know it's catching on. It's real. Oh, by the way, it's on the tip of the tongue of our biggest star. I could go back to the last six Conor McGregor interviews and he has found a way to mention it. It really matters to him. I don't know what the backstory there is. I don't know why Conor is so into it."
Naturally, Sonnen speculated on McGregor's potential reasons, which could be a case of simple inspiration from Alexa Grasso's rivalry with Valentina Shevchenko, or Raul Rosas Jr.'s ascension. He added:
"I don't know if he was at home and he watched the show with Rosas Jr., with Grasso and Shevchenko and he got inspired or he saw the crowd and he thought that looked cool. I don't know what it is. I just know Conor wants to fight on Mexican Independence Day."
Check out Chael Sonnen's thoughts on Conor McGregor fighting at UFC 306 (2:27):
However, there is very little chance McGregor actually fights at UFC 306. He is currently scheduled to face Michael Chandler in a welterweight bout at UFC 303, and depending on the bout's outcome, he may be in no condition to make that quick a turnaround.
Dana White has already shut down Conor McGregor's request
Despite Conor McGregor's previous request to fight at UFC 306, UFC CEO Dana White was quick to dismiss the Irishman, reminding everyone that he intends to have Mexican fighters on the card and that McGregor, obviously, does not fit the bill.
The UFC CEO also dismissed any talk of a potential Nate Diaz comeback at UFC 306 as well. For now, there is little news on any provisional headliners for the event.