Dana White contradicts Michael Chandler’s claim that he will be Conor McGregor’s opponent upon his return
Dana White and Michael Chandler do not appear to be on the same page about who Conor McGregor will fight when he returns. 'Iron' was long expected to face the Irishman, but several delays in the fight's announcement led to Chandler accepting a rematch with Charles Oliveira.
The pair first clashed at UFC 262 for the lightweight title, which Oliveira secured via KO in Round 2. Their second fight is scheduled to take place at UFC 309 in November, a co-main event at the iconic Madison Square Garden arena.
During the announcement of his fight with 'do Bronx', Chandler stated that if McGregor could "get his house in order," then the American would fight 'The Notorious' after his clash with Oliveira:
"You are the most unreliable human being that has ever graced mixed martial arts... I get the opportunity to fight Charles Oliveira, become the no.1 contender and then I've got options. If Conor can finally get his house in order, if he can string together a couple of sober days... If he can finally pony-up, then I will fight Conor after I dispatch of Charles Oliveira."
Click here to watch Chandler's video.
During White's recent interview with Robbie Fox, where news of Oliveira vs. Chandler was initially broken, Fox asked the UFC CEO if McGregor would still be fighting 'Iron'. He replied:
"No, [McGregor won't fight him]. Chandler said, 'I'm done waiting. I wanna fight.'"
Catch Dana White's comments below (13:15):
Dana White overjoyed by working with Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler
UFC CEO Dana White had plenty of positive words for both Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira after they accepted a UFC 309 clash without hesitation, no doubt saving promotional matchmakers a lot of effort.
With Chandler having thought to be waiting for Conor McGregor's return, the announcement that he would face 'do Bronx' in a rematch in November came as a major surprise.
Ahead of Noche UFC 306, set to take place on Sept. 14, White appeared in front of the media to discuss the latest lightweight fight announcement. He said this:
"Negotiating with Michael Chandler and Oliveira is like the easiest thing to do in the world. They're both absolute studs who love to fight and will fight anybody, anywhere, anytime. They couldn't be better human beings. So that part is easy."
Catch Dana White's comments below (13:55):