"Hey Siri, call Conor McGregor" - Chael Sonnen baffled by the Irishman's UFC return being at a standstill
Chael Sonnen has admitted that he is confused by the ambiguity surrounding Conor McGregor's UFC return.
The Irishman hasn't fought in the promotion since he suffered a devastating leg break injury during his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021. After undergoing surgery and intensive rehabilitation, McGregor returned to full training last year.
'The Notorious' had then been expected to face Michael Chandler in 2023 following his recovery from injury after the pair appeared as coaches opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter 31. However, their bout never came to fruition.
Despite the lack of any confirmation by the UFC or Dana White, both McGregor and Chandler have gone on record in recent months and claimed a fight is in the works for this summer.
Weighing in on the situation was former UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen, who discussed the fight on his YouTube channel. 'The American Gangster' is baffled as to why the UFC aren't announcing the fight. He said:
"Conor has been going to the media and claiming he wants to fight, claiming that he's training and he's asked for dates... That's either the case or it's not. I can't recall a time that [a situation like this] hasn't been called out by the media. To simply say [to the UFC] this is what he [McGregor] said. 'Hey Siri, call Conor McGregor', I can't believe it. That is what you can get to and you'd get there quickly. So what am I missing?"
Catch Sonnen's comments regarding Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler here (8:01):
Charles Oliveira's coach claims Conor McGregor asked 'Do Bronx' to delay fighting Islam Makhachev in 2022
Charles Oliveira's coach Diego Lima has claimed Conor McGregor asked 'Do Bronx' to delay his 2022 title bout against Islam Makhachev and urged him to wait for his return instead.
Oliveira eventually faced Makhachev at UFC 280 for the vacant lightweight title, coming up short on the night. However, during a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira's coach revealed that the bout almost didn't happen.
According to Diego Lima, Oliveira had received a text from McGregor asking him not to face Makhachev. The Irishman instead wanted the Brazilian to face him once he had recovered from his leg break injury. Lima revealed:
"Before [the Makhachev fight], McGregor texted [Oliveira] telling him to wait, not to fight [Islam]. They exchanged direct messages. McGregor sent him a video training and running at the beach. If we had waited for [McGregor], how long would that have been? We'd be three years with no fights already."
Catch Diego Lima's comments regarding Conor McGregor here (13:13):