Michael Chandler is finally happy after his upcoming fight is announced. His last fight in the UFC Octagon was in 2022, where he suffered a submission defeat to Dustin Poirier. Since then, it has been a long wait for Chandler. The former Bellator champion was scheduled to face Conor McGregor in the season finale of TUF 31, but the Irishman failed to join the USADA testing pool in time, thus, the fight was canceled.
White’s announcement has changed the whole dynamic
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Recently, Conor McGregor also withdrew from the main event fight of UFC 303, which enraged the fans. MMA fans also taunted Chandler by saying that he is being played by Dana White and McGregor. However, everything changed when Dana White announced the fight between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler. This announcement changed the whole dynamic, as this match is for the lightweight title contender.
In a recently uploaded video on X, Michael Chandler was seen smiling while his match with “Do Bronx” was being announced in the background. Chandler and Oliveira have already come face to face once in the past. The two clashed at UFC 262, where Oliveira scored a knockout victory. The match back then was also a title fight. Now while “Iron” is on cloud nine, his moving on from the McGregor bout is a bad sign for “The Notorious.” The Irishman currently has no opponent or return date to the UFC.
McGregor’s UFC return remains uncertain
While it is expected that the “Mystic Mac” will return to complete the remaining two matches in his UFC contract, it is unknown when that will happen. McGregor has been facing criticism from several top UFC fighters. Speaking on this matter, the current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said that McGregor returning to the UFC is nothing short of a fantasy. Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria also echoed similar sentiments and said that he would turn down an offer to fight McGregor. Meanwhile, “The Notorious” has reportedly approached Turki Alalshikh for help in finding a match in the UFC. It remains to be seen what happens next.
Also Read: Ilia Topuria issues stern warning to Max Holloway ahead of their title fight
