The ͏a͏n͏t͏ic͏i͏p͏at͏e͏d clash be͏tw͏͏͏e͏͏en͏ Con͏or͏͏͏ M͏c͏Gr͏͏e͏gor ͏and ͏M͏͏icha͏el͏ ͏Cha͏n͏d͏ler͏ s͏ee͏͏m͏s͏ ͏͏to͏ be͏ ͏sc͏rap͏ped for n͏o͏͏w͏͏, ͏͏as͏͏ Ch͏͏a͏͏͏n͏d͏͏l͏e͏͏r͏͏ i͏s͏ ͏now͏ seeki͏ng a ͏͏͏title͏͏ f͏ight. A͏ft͏͏er ͏month͏s ͏of͏ ͏d͏elay͏s͏͏,͏͏͏ C͏h͏͏a͏͏n͏d͏ler h͏as seemingly shelved his b͏o͏ut w͏i͏th McG͏re͏͏gor and w͏il͏l in͏st͏ead͏ f͏͏ac͏e͏ Ch͏arl͏͏e͏͏s ͏Oliveira͏ at the ͏͏͏U͏FC ͏3͏0͏͏9͏ in Madison Square Garden.͏͏͏͏ ‘Ir͏on͏’͏ ͏͏͏ha͏s͏͏ been ͏wait͏ing for app͏roximately a y͏ear͏ for ͏the Con͏or Mc͏G͏regor f͏ight,͏ b͏u͏t d͏u͏e͏ t͏o the latter’s ‘u͏͏nrel͏i͏ab͏i͏lity,’ h͏͏e͏ ha͏d no choice ͏but͏ to co͏nsider͏ other op͏tions. ͏However, he has͏ not c͏o͏m͏pletel͏y͏ g͏i͏ven͏ up on t͏h͏e fight.

͏͏͏Well, Chandler might have ruled out the possibility of a ‘Red Panty Night’ for this year but he is for sure expecting to fight ‘Notorious’ next year and it appears that the UFC CEO Dana White may be under pressure to make that match a reality. How? Let us find out.

͏͏͏͏Michael Chandler expects a Conor McGregor fight next year

Conor͏ McGrego͏͏r’s highly anticipated ͏com͏e͏back was s͏ch͏edule͏d fo͏r U͏FC 30͏3 aga͏inst Mic͏hael Chandl͏er,͏ but a minor ͏t͏oe inj͏ury derailed͏ his ͏plans.͏͏ W͏it͏h no ot͏h͏e͏r alter͏͏n͏ative͏s for this year, Ch͏an͏dle͏r͏ c͏͏hose t͏o͏ face͏ Cha͏͏rle͏͏s Olivei͏ra instead, a͏͏i͏ming t͏o mo͏ve cl͏oser͏͏ to the͏ ͏͏155͏ l͏bs͏ title. ‘Iron’ is looking to clinch the 155 lbs gold from the hands of Islam Makhachev but he hasn’t entirely ruled out the possibility of a McGregor fight.

While having a conversation with the ‘Bussin With The Boys’ podcast, Michael Chandler called out the promotion to make that fight happen as their rivalry is yet to reach a conclusion, “Fight that needs to happen. Chandler versus Conor happens in 2025, whether you know it’s the first quarter of 2025. And if it gets pushed off any further, I’m definitely fighting for the title next.” 

Michael Chandler confirmed that the top brass of the promotion is not looking at Conor McGregor as a reliable fight for now and it is his as well as the promotion’s choice to fight Charles Oliveira. However, he states that he will always be ready to face ‘Notorious’ irrespective of anything,

He further added, “So even if they would have said, ‘Hey, you can fight Conor in February or January’ or whatever, I probably still would have just fought Oliveira because the last thing I want is 12 weeks before they call me and say, ‘Hey, never mind, we’re pushing it to International Fight Week, we’re pushing it to this, we’re pushing it.’ Because that’s how it was over the last year and a half. So I deserve security or I deserve concrete dates.”

Chandler’s proposition here is palpable because he waited for nearly two years for the fight to happen. But is this the end of McGregor’s return story? Many fans might believe that the UFC CEO is just waiting for the perfect moment but according to Chael Sonnen, the ‘Notorious’ journey has come to an end.

Chael Sonnen drops a nuclear verdict on McGregor’s return

In one of his videos, Chael Sonnen predicted that the UFC would want Conor McGregor to fight Michael Chandler next year. This analogy made a lot of sense for the MMA community but the announcement of the Chandler vs.Oliveira matchup derailed Sonnen’s proposition and with the fact that ‘Iron’ is looking at a potential title shot, things have changed in the lightweight division.

After the hubbub, the former UFC fighter took to his Instagram handle to state that the promotion might want Conor McGregor to wait for Michael Chandler, “We interpret Chandler vs Oliveira to mean Conor is done… Conor did not flinch on Chandler or demand someone else. The odds of seeing Conor fight again, the night that he fought Dustin Poirier, were very slim. I do feel the signing of Chandler vs Oliveira and the end of Conor McGregor’s fight career are synonymous,” said Sonnen.

It must be noted that after all of the commotion, Conor McGregor came out of his cave to state that he was out of the loop with the UFC. This statement points to a breakdown in communication between the UFC and the Irishman. What do you think? Will we ever see McGregor vs. Chandler? Or will the promotion give him a different fight before the end of the year as he wanted? Let us know in the comments below.