It seems like the MMA world is moving on from the Michael Chandler vs Conor McGregor bout. The two have been linked to a clash since their appearance as coaches on TUF 31 in 2023. But multiple delays in the fight confirmation have dampened the hype surrounding the bout. At UFC 303 it looked like the long-awaited clash would finally materialize for the fandom.

However, those hopes were dashed as McGregor suffered an injury to his toe that caused the promotion to cancel the fight abruptly. During a recent press conference after DWCS (Dana White Contender Series), the UFC boss was asked if he had been in talks with the Irishman about his return schedule. But White revealed that, “…yeah, he wants to fight. So we’ll figure it out. Not this year. He won’t fight this year.”

While McGregor did respond with a post on social media calling for a December date for his return and claimed that he is “off to altitude next month to prepare”, there hasn’t been any official confirmation yet. Now, with Michael Chandler having been out of action since his UFC 281 bout against Dustin Poirier in 2022, the fans have begun clamoring for ‘Iron’ to take on a different fight instead!

In a recent post made on X by Spinnin Backfist, it was reported that UFC 307 will be taking place on October 5th in Salt Lake City, Utah. The caption read, “Michael Chandler, it’s time for a main event…” and the fans have rallied behind this call. Here’s a look at what the MMA sphere had to say!

Michael Chandler gets a wave of fan support to be the main event for UFC 307

Fans called for a run-back of Michael Chandler’s bout against Charles Oliveira. The two had faced off at UFC 262 in 2021 for the vacant 155 lbs. title with ‘Do Bronx’ finishing Chandler in the second round to claim the gold. Chandler himself isn’t opposed to the idea as he recently shared in an interview with Lucky Block that, “The most realistic option for me if you look at the landscape and you consider everything is Charles Oliveira. I love the rematch with Charles.”

Others claimed that an interim title fight between him and no. 1 lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan should be the way to go for the UFC and boss Dana White. The lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev is currently dealing with a hand injury. This has cast a shadow over when his next title defense will be. But with Chandler winning only one of his last 4 bouts, it’ll be interesting to see if the UFC does make this bout happen.

Of the current lightweight top 5, four fighters are sitting on losses in their last bouts. #5 ranked Mateusz Gamrot is fighting this weekend at UFC 305, possibly ruling him out of a quick turnaround for UFC 307. Oliveira, Gaethje, and Poirier all fought in the last few months and might not make the cut for October. That makes #6 ranked Michael Chandler a suitable opponent and a fresh matchup for Tsarukyan.

However, not all fans agree with the demands for a Michael Chandler main event. They pointed out that without McGregor the interest in the bout will be very low. But with the UFC boss claiming that ‘The Notorious’ may not be fighting again this year, Chandler’s return to action against a different opponent makes a lot of sense

Some fans were against the idea of Chandler fighting in Utah. Salt Lake City, located at an elevation of 4,265 ft above sea level, makes it hard for fighters to maintain their pace over the course of a fight. And with Chandler’s tendency to slow down in later rounds, the fans aren’t sure it’d be the best idea to have him compete at UFC 307.

Meanwhile, others were fully on-board with the former Bellator lightweight champion deserving a headliner spot. Having been out since 2022 in his wait for the McGregor fight, the fans rightfully pointed out that the 38-year-old is owed a main-event slot.

The idea of a rematch between him and Dustin Poirier was also brought up. ‘The Diamond’ beat Chandler via submission in their meeting at UFC 281. There’s already ‘beef’ between the pair as during an appearance on ‘The MMA Hour’, Poirier had fired shots at Chandler by stating, “He’s not one of us. I’ve been cutting my teeth in the UFC since January of 2011, 2010. He just got here.”

To wrap things up, whether it’s a rematch with Charles Oliveira, a shot at Arman Tsarukyan, or even a run-back with Dustin Poirier, the MMA community is hungry for Michael Chandler to step back into the spotlight. But the saga between him and McGregor is losing its luster and the Irishman’s appeal is dimming for the fans. Should the UFC set up Michael Chandler as the main event for UFC 307? Who would you like to see him throw down with instead of McGregor? Let us know in the comments below!