Is the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight still on? Here's the latest update from Chandler himself
Following a week full of speculation regarding the status of UFC 303, Conor McGregor appears to be on track to make his return to the octagon on June 29. In his first fight since 2021, 'The Notorious' will be facing his opposing coach from season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, Michael Chandler.
Rumors of the fight being off stemmed from the promotional press conference scheduled for June 3 being canceled with no explanation. Many assumed that an injury had pulled McGregor from the fight but no further updates were given from either the UFC or any other credible source.
Chandler, however, gave a promising update on June 7 through an appearance on The Pivot Podcast with former ESPN analyst Ryan Clark. In the video, 'Iron' confirmed that the fight was still intact, saying:
"The fight's happening. Where we are right now, there's a lot of speculation but the fight is on. June 29 it's happening."
As expected, Chandler exuded extreme confidence in the matchup, telling Clark that he believed he would knock out McGregor and make UFC 303 the final fight of the former two-division champion's career.
On the same day of the podcast episode's release, McGregor posted sparring footage on social media, giving fans an additional feeling of optimism.
Watch the full episode of The Pivot Podcast with Michael Chandler below:
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler official promotional trailer
If the words of Michael Chandler were not enough to convince fans that the UFC 303 main event was still together, the promotion re-aired the promotional trailer for the fight during the broadcast of UFC Louisville.
As usual, the video was praised by fans for its cinematic effect while highlighting the impact of Conor McGregor's return.
Both McGregor and Chandler will be returning from significant layoffs after last losing to Dustin Poirier. McGregor has not competed since breaking his leg in the fight against 'The Diamond' at UFC 264 and Chandler would be submitted by the lightweight a year later at UFC 281.