The bad boy of the UFC is seemingly set for a return to the Octagon if recent reports are to be believed. Conor McGregor, who has not fought since the second of back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, has stated that he will fight Michael Chandler in December, making the claim prior to Anthony Joshua’s recent fight with Finnish fighter Robert Helenius.
McGregor, who is clearly not short on confidence, effectively lined up his next three fights, all of which will, of course, be massive PPV successes. Interest in the 35-year-old Irish bruiser is huge, and you can expect bets to rain down on the Dubliner and if you want to back him to win, then we’d suggest you consider signing up with these UFC betting sites to place those bets.
When asked about his likely next fight, McGregor stated;
'When am I back? December,'
'Chandler next. I have to fight him. Then it’s Gaethje and then the Nate trilogy.' McGregor added.
McGregor, who is never short on attempts to provoke a reaction, then took aim at Logan Paul and the possibility he may not show up for his fight with Dillon Danis, his long-term training partner, commenting on that very possibility after Joshua had defeated Helenius.
"I hope the lad shows up, they're trying to put a bill on us if we don't show up, but we're going to come at him with a bill if he doesn't show up. For sure, I'm getting into camp myself after this, so when that's organized, I'm going to bring Dillon in and make sure and just monitor it,"
"I was in New York for about a month or so, I was training with him, he's in a great space mentally. He built himself up, he was in a bad spot but he's built himself back up and now he's in a great spot, so it's great to see and I back him all the way. I've trained with him, I know he's got this." McGregor added.
McGregor believes Danis has what it takes to bring down Paul, and he clearly knows all about the contender, having trained with Dillon since 2016.
"Dillon will win for sure. They're already back-tracking right now, they awoke an animal. I've known Dillon years, I've trained him many times, I've helped him and I'm guiding him, I'm going to train him for this and I'm going to guarantee a win."
McGregor’s projected fight with Chandler is somewhat in the balance given that it has no firm date, location, or even a weight class, and then there’s the small matter of the USADA.
The fighter is still yet to enter the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s doping pool, and current rules stipulate he would have to enter a six-month period of testing before he could get back in the Octagon, though he is seeking an exemption.
Talk of an exemption doesn’t impress Daniel Cormier, who believes McGregor does not warrant it, stating;
“Here’s where the issue becomes: You make that exception, then how do you implement this rule for the rest of the people?”
“We’ve seen exceptions before, and generally, they are for the most high-profile and best fighters in the world, which – Conor McGregor does fit into that category."
