Fans are only a few hours away from the premiere of season 31 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ featuring Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. The premiere will officially kick off Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon after his injury in 2021. As per the recent statements from McGregor and Dana White, the fight between McGregor vs. Chandler for later this year will be announced during the airing of TUF.
Conor McGregor’s return has been a topic of much intrigue since his injury in 2021. Dana White sent the fans into a frenzy when he announced TUF featuring McGregor ahead of his return bout against Michael Chandler later. However, McGregor’s standoff with USADA dampened the enthusiasm about the affair.
Now, the clouds have cleared as McGregor is all set to enter the USADA testing pool. This also means that the UFC can finally get to work on the bout. With the TUF premiere at the doorstep, UFC president Dana White had to answer questions about the fight and an expected timeline for the same.
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Dana White reveals the timeline for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
In a recent interview he gave to The Mac Life, Dana White doubled down on his earlier statement regarding the timeline for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler. When asked if he had a date, he said, “I don’t. I don’t have a date, but I’m obviously shooting for the end of this year.”
The UFC head honcho also listed out the stakes of the fight and what made it an exciting one. He said this would not be a one-sided fight where one guy would walk over to the other. He further added, “When you take Conor’s layoff with the injury that he recovered from, trying to get back on top, and Chandler and how tough and durable he is, and how the guy never quits and just keeps coming. Both guys have the ability to knock people out with one punch. The wrestling factor… all those questions are what makes this fight so fun.”
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McGregor vs. Chandler is arguably the most anticipated fight of the year and will hopefully get booked soon. Meanwhile, fans can enjoy McGregor and Chandler competing in coaching roles on TUF 31.
The series premiers on ESPN on May 30th at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
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Are you excited about TUF 31? Who do you think wins it? When do you think we will see McGregor vs. Chandler? Let us know in the comments.