Conor McGregor has responded to Michael Chandler’s grievances after the news that they won’t fight this year.
McGregor has been out of the cage since his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021, as the Irishman suffered a broken leg. Despite undergoing rehabilitation, McGregor’s target of a return in 2023 has not happened. The MMA fighter was required to enroll in USADA, which requires athletes to submit two negative samples over a six-month period before they can compete. In response, McGregor continued to state that he was targeting a December return even in the absence of his USADA tests. And now that the inevitable has been confirmed, McGregor urged Chandler to be patient.
“Yes, it has to be [Chandler next]. Chandler, sit down and wait and shut your mouth, yeah? The Mac will be here soon. [I’m] en route. En route, son. En route. It’s imminent. It’s imminent,” McGregor
The news has also been tough for Chandler to take. The former has not had a fight in the cage since his loss to Poirier in November 2022. Since then, Chandler has managed to get the better of McGregor as a coach on the TUF 31 series. But until they get in the cage, McGregor’s future is uncertain. After all, Dana White did confirm that there was no fight this year.
“I’ve been saying for a while, next year is when Conor’s going to fight. And then obviously, if Chandler gets antsy, then we’ll figure something out. I think Chandler’s got a bunch of money, he’s hanging out with family, and when the time is right for the Conor fight, I’m sure that’s the fight he wants,” White