If making headlines is an art, Conor McGregor is the Picasso of it. Over the last 24 hours, he has been in the headlines alongside names like Donald Trump, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Max Holloway, and Michael Chandler. What started as a triggered response to a statement from the former POTUS may have altered the course of the McGregor-Chandler rivalry, and rekindled the fires of an old one. What just took place?

In a new interview, Trump named Nurmagomedov as his favorite UFC fighter. This statement incensed McGregor, who called it ‘abysmal’ and a ‘campaign ending decision.’ However, Chandler immediately jumped to Trump’s defense, taking shots at McGregor for pulling out of their UFC 303 bout. In response, the Irishman stated on X, “Bro he doesn’t even know who the f*** you are lol. He probably thinks you are a little broke begging a**ewipe.”

In response to McGregor’s comment, Chandler wrote, “Nevermind guys… I think it’s time I finally admit the fight is off. He’s still in stage 2 of the 7 of grief pertaining to his career being over. Figured he’d be closer to 5 by now. Godspeed @TheNotoriousMMA.”

Without a doubt, Chandler’s words were coated with disappointment. However, the Irish mixed martial artist wasn’t someone who would keep the fight fans upset. He promised to return, but for an opponent that he had already defeated once before. “? lol ok lil bro. Swapped out handy. @BlessedMMA what you at December? The real bmf, you know,” McGregor wrote on X, hinting at a possible fight with Max Holloway.

Interesting Fact: Conor McGregor and Max Holloway faced each other at UFC Fight Night 26 – Shogun vs. Sonnen in 2013. ‘The Notorious’ won the bout via a unanimous decision.

The Irishman was supposed to make a return to the UFC back at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler, following a 3-year-long hiatus. Unfortunately, a broken pinky toe foiled those plans, leaving Chandler hanging. In fact, the American has waited for McGregor for quite a long time. He last fought Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in 2022. So it has been a while since Chandler entered the octagon.

Additionally, let us not forget he is already 38. Waiting so long for an opponent when he doesn’t have the luxury of time might not be a wise decision for ‘Iron’.

Needless to say, the fighting community didn’t expect McGregor to call out Holloway. But the fight between ‘Blessed’ and ‘The Notorious’ isn’t something that failed to raise cheers from the fight fans. After all, it was the BMF belt on the stakes.

Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 anyone?

Even though it was Chandler who previously hinted at his bout with McGregor being scheduled for December, he might not be the one to fight the Irishman. Nevertheless, ‘The Notorious’ has declared that he is indeed ready to bounce back into action. ‘Mystic Mac’, on August 2, shared video footage of him sparring and executing his left hook on social media. No doubt, the Irish fighter was pretty fluid and agile.

In the caption, McGregor wrote, “Make them scared to throw and then bomb them with a home-built explosive, this is Ireland. Me.” The Dubliner also claimed that he was a lot smoother in his stance and form. But the question of his return still remains. Will McGregor fight Holloway or Chandler? Well, that’s something that we’ll get to know after an official announcement.

As things stand, Holloway is set to compete for the featherweight belt against Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. So a December return after an October outing would be unlikely for ‘Blessed.’ However, the BMF title is a bargaining chip and one could see him move across divisions to fight big-name contenders.

McGregor has had his eye on the BMF belt since its inception, but never had the chance to compete for it.

If they fight again, it will be a bout between two former UFC champions with five UFC titles between them. This fight could easily be much bigger than the proposed Chandler vs. McGregor bout.

However, McGregor’s affinity for the welterweight category and Holloway’s recent exploits at lightweight makes this a distant possibility. If the duo fight, it would likely be at lightweight. But let us not forget that if the 32-year-old wins the 145 lbs title in October, he will have added commitments to the contenders at featherweight, on top of his ambitions to fight Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt.

Holloway opened himself up to a number of opportunities when he flatlined Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. In the aftermath of it, Joe Rogan said the UFC should give him whatever he wants. Well, right now, Holloway has multiple options to choose from.