Conor McGregor gives five-word reaction to potentially fighting Michael Chandler at UFC 310 on Dec. 14
Combat sports megastar Conor McGregor has seemingly hinted at the potential timeline for his highly-anticipated return to the octagon. 'The Notorious' suggested that he could fight Michael Chandler at the UFC 310 event, which is likely to take place on Dec. 14, 2024.
McGregor suffered a gruesome leg injury and lost via first-round TKO against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy matchup at UFC 264 (July 2021). Since then, the Irishman hasn't competed in the octagon.
Nevertheless, McGregor and UFC lightweight contender Chandler served as rival coaches on Season 31 of the UFC's TUF ('The Ultimate Fighter') reality show in 2023. Heading into the 2024 New Year, McGregor announced that they'll clash in a middleweight bout on June 29, 2024. However, the UFC didn't confirm the same.
During the UFC 300 (April 13, 2024) post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White officially announced that the Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler fight would be contested at welterweight at UFC 303 (June 29, 2024). Unfortunately, in June, it was revealed that McGregor had pulled out of UFC 303, and the card was significantly reshuffled.
Conor McGregor's withdrawal was owing to a toe injury. He expressed his disappointment and attributed it to a minor lapse in concentration. The 36-year-old MMA icon vowed to return stronger. He noted that the injury would require a "few weeks" to heal.
Moreover, McGregor recently spoke to the media and was asked the following question by Chisanga Malata:
"And last one from me. December 14th, is that going to be the new date?"
McGregor replied by stating:
"That sounds good to me."
Additionally, in a YouTube video posted by Malata, McGregor appeared to reiterate the same while walking away.
Check out Conor McGregor's response below:
The official TNT Sports Facebook later re-posted the video, highlighting that McGregor is willing to make his comeback against Chandler at the UFC 310 event in December.
Check out TNT Sports' post below:
Ariel Helwani previously addressed Conor McGregor possibly facing Michael Chandler at UFC 310
Conor McGregor recently took to X and indicated that he'd spoken to UFC head honcho Dana White and their fight's rescheduling for a 2024 date is underway, to which Chandler responded cordially. As for White, he appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and implied that they haven't finalized a date for the matchup yet but would like it to materialize "in 2024."
In a recent episode (July 15, 2024) of The MMA Hour podcast, Ariel Helwani noted that McGregor could fight Chandler at UFC 310 on Dec. 14, 2024. As of this time, the UFC hasn't officially announced the McGregor-Chandler showdown for UFC 310, but that could change in the days to come. Regardless, Helwani said:
"As of right now, as I said recently, the hope is Conor versus Chandler in December, on, that December, I think, 14th pay-per-view. And Conor even tweeted to Michael Chandler a couple of days ago, saying, 'Just spoke to Dana, and everything is in place.' And, you know, he's hoping that he fights in 2024. So, that's the layout right there. And if you look at who has fought, who hasn't fought, who should be fighting, who's on deck, it all makes perfect sense."
Check out Helwani's comments below (5:35):