"I'd be fascinated if the sport's biggest draw had to do that" - Ex-UFC star claims Conor McGregor is "having a hard time" booking his next fight
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor is having a hard time getting the UFC to sign off on his return fight.
The Irishman has been out of action since suffering a freak leg break during his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021. The injury required immediate surgery and put McGregor out of action.
Prior to re-entering the USADA testing pool at the back-end of 2023, Dana White announced that former double champ would be returning to face Michael Chandler.
The pair coached opposite one another on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter and were originally scheduled to headline an event before 2024.
Their bout never came to fruition and the UFC brass has remained uncharacterisically silent on any potential date for the two lightweight stars. It's the stark opposite for McGregor and Chandler, however, who have both stated that they want to fight on June 29 for International Fight Week.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen weighed in on the situation. 'The American Gangster' stated that he believes both McGregor and Chandler are struggling to get the UFC to agree to the terms of their clash. He said:
"I think Conor's having a hard time getting this fight. I think Conor McGregor has gone to the public and stated a date he knows is available and got Chandler to back him up and they're doing this to work into this bout agreement backwards. I love when guys do that...but it would be fascinating if Conor, the sport's biggest draw had to do that."
Catch Sonnen's comments here (5:30):
MMA analyst explains why Michael Chandler is a must-win bout for Conor McGregor
Morning Kombat's Brian Campbell recently discussed Conor McGregor's return and outlined the implications it may have on the rest of his career.
Campbell was interviewed by Australian outlet From the Stands, during which he was asked if McGregor's potential bout against Michael Chandler is a "must-win" fight for the Irishman.
According to Campbell, he doesn't expect fans will see the 35-year-old in the octagon again should he come up short against Chandler. He said:
"I do wonder if this actually is a must-win. I wouldn't doubt he's [Conor McGregor] going to get every advantage, is this a middleweight fight? Yeah, it might be...I just think if he does win, this chapter could go on a lot longer."
Campbell continued:
"He hasn't seemed serious for so long that if it doesn't go his way and it goes disastrously here, I don't know what else we would lean on besides putting on the highlights from 2014-15 and reminding ourselves of a guy who no longer exists."
Check out Campbell's comments here (38:17):