Michael Chandler not facing Conor McGregor next, UFC bantamweight rules out moving up, Dustin Poirier calls out Nate Diaz: MMA News Roundup
Michael Chandler no longer facing Conor McGregor, UFC bantamweight contender rules out moving up to featherweight and Dustin Poirier calls out Nate Diaz.
Find out more details in today's (Sept. 14) Sportskeeda daily news roundup.
#3 Michael Chandler to rematch Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, no longer waiting for Conor McGregor
Dana White announced last night that Michael Chandler will no longer be facing Conor McGregor next. Instead, 'Iron' is set to rematch Charles Oliveira as the co-main event for the upcoming UFC 309 card in November.
Speaking to Robbie Fox of Spinning Backfist, the UFC CEO confirmed that Chandler was tired of waiting for the Irishman, having spent two years away from the octagon in the hopes of securing the fight. He said:
"No, [Chandler will not be facing McGregor next]... Chandler said, 'I'm done waiting, I want to fight.'"
Fox then followed up on the bombshell interview with White, revealing that he had been told Chandler would now be facing 'Do Bronx'. He said:
"Michael Chandler is taking a fight first, he is getting a fight first and it'll be against Charles Oliveira in a five-round co-main event at MSG [Madison Square Garden] [at UFC 309]. The Conor fight still may happen in the future."
Check out Robbie Fox's comments here:
#2 UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili rules out stepping up to featherweight
Merab Dvalishvili has confirmed he has no intention of stepping up to featherweight in the future, stating that it is largely due to Ilia Topuria.
As 'The Machine' prepares for his first title bout against Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 this weekend, he appeared on Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman's Pound 4 Pound podcast.
During the show, Dvalishvili stated that not only did he not want to move to 145 pounds whilst his fellow countryman was the champion, he also revealed the pair have previously sparred on multiple occasions, with 'El Matador' typically always coming out ahead. He said:
"I've been sparring with [Topuria] and he destroyed me, you know, he's stronger than me...I'm very comfortable in my weight class here at 135 [pounds]. I don't think I will go up and fight for the belt."
Check out Dvalishvili's comments here (44:00):
#1 Dustin Poirier calls out Nate Diaz
Dustin Poirier has called out Nate Diaz after an MMA fan suggested the pair lock horns inside the octagon.
'The Diamond' has been seeking an opponent in recent weeks as he looks to secure one final bout before retiring from MMA. Whilst a host of names have come up, such as Conor McGregor or Justin Gaethje, one fan suggests Poirier face off against the Stockton Native.
The fan in question tweeted Poirier on X, writing:
"Beat up Nate and call it a career"
Poirier then responded:
"Nathaniel?"
Check out the tweets here: