Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 296: All we know about the rumored fight so far
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is still a possibility for UFC 296.
'The Notorious' teased the contest on his social media handles. It came after apparently a screenshot from the UFC Fight Pass website went viral. The photo showed a countdown to UFC 296 and McGregor vs. Chandler as the headliner. The UFC has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.
Fight fans have been talking about the contest ever since the UFC announced a TUF season with McGregor and Chandler as coaches.
During the show, Conor McGregor told Michael Chandler that the contest would likely be at 170 lbs. Chandler has stated on multiple occasions that he is open to fighting McGregor in any weight class.
While the show was on, McGregor hinted that the date for his fight against Chandler would be announced before the finale. However, UFC President Dana White stayed quiet on the matter.
Multiple reports claimed that McGregor was out of the USADA pool, and later it was confirmed. Rumors suggested 'The Notorious' took himself out of the PDA testing to rehab his severely injured leg. However, former stars like Chael Sonnen claimed it was probably to get a relaxation in the USADA's where-about rules.
Even USADA made a public statement saying Conor McGregor would need to provide two clean tests before competing or need six months in the testing pool.
Conor McGregor was kept out of his livelihood
Earlier this month, Conor McGregor announced that he was forced out of competing in December. However, he changed his tunes and claimed in another tweet that the December date was back in place.
A few days ago, a viral photo from UFC Fight Pass sent MMA fans into a frenzy. Many believed it was not real till Conor McGregor posted it on his social handles and gave it more validity.
For now, it appears that the bout is set for December for the year-end UFC 296 PPV. The contest is likely to be at welterweight. Furthermore, Sean O'Malley could co-headline the event. Other names like Ian Garry, Giga Chikadze, Stephen Thompson, and Kamaru Usman could compete in this spectacular card.