Things are looking a little worrying for Conor McGregor, whose initial comeback opponent, Michael Chandler, called him out once again. Dana White recently mentioned the situation with the Irishman, claiming to indicate even more of a delay in his return than the promotion expected, and well, Chandler may not be too happy about it.

During the UFC 309. Dana White addressed that despite Conor McGregor not being in the mix when it comes to the action inside the Octagon, he’s still very much in touch with the former double champion. ‘The Notorious’ been the biggest draw for the CEO and even carried the promotion on his shoulders for a number of years. But are his days numbered? Well, White claims McGregor isn’t done just yet. “There is no doubt Conor wants to fight. He hits me up all the time,” Dana White stated.

The 55-year-old promoter also added that his previous plans for Conor McGregor to return to action in early 2025 may not be possible, but he didn’t expand on the reasons behind it. Instead, they’re trying to plan it for the latter half of next year, and unfortunately for Michael Chandler, he won’t be fighting ‘The Notorious’ anymore. “Conor’s going to come back [in] late 2025. There’s a lot of time before we figure out who’s going to fight Conor,” Dana White further stated.

Michael Chandler didn’t quite get the result he was hoping for after a two-year layoff, and his chances to earn a title shot is seemingly out of the question at this moment. He insinuated going for the BMF title, instead, following his second loss to Charles Oliveira.

Michael Chandler wants the BMF title if not Conor McGregor

The last couple of BMF title fights have delivered on a grand scale. From Justin Gaethje knocking out Dustin Poirier to Max Holloway knocking ‘The Highlight’ in the last second of the last minute of the last round at UFC 300 – these matchups have been a treat for the fans. Michael Chandler could certainly fit in this category, given his outstanding and entertaining outing against Charles Oliveira at Madison Square Garden. He could be an excellent addition to the earlier proposed 4-man BMF tournament as well.

“Madison Square Garden, are you not entertained? Hey, I have a bunch of callouts. I was supposed to show up tonight, do my job, and win the fight. Forget calling out Islam [Makhachev], Charles is doing that next. Maybe Max Holloway for the BMF belt [could be his next fight],” Michael Chandler stated during the post-fight interview.

Conor McGregor, though, is currently dealing with his own businesses and is starting to transition well as a fight promoter for BKFC. Until McGregor makes noise and keeps himself relevant through his social media engagement and business endeavors, rumors will always float around about his potential comeback to MMA. But do you think it will ever materialize despite his claims of having a couple of bouts left in his UFC contract? Let us know your thoughts down below.