When will Conor McGregor return to the Octagon again? This is the question in the minds of fans. A tsunami of failed plans and USADA hurdles has left fans with their fingers crossed in anticipation of the return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor. UFC’s original plans to pit him against Michael Chandler just after The Ultimate Fighter 31 ends seem to have perished. However, even while four episodes of TUF 31 have aired, there is no sign of the McGregor vs. Chandler fight.

The main concern here is that the Irishman hasn’t even stepped inside the USADA testing pool. According to the rules, he has to spend six months in the testing pool before fighting. But because of the current scenario, the Irishman cannot even fight in the last PPV of 2023. All this has led to hopes of seeing the fierce battle slowly dwindling. However, recent words by McGregor might have reignited that hope.

When will Conor McGregor fight again?

Recently, media cameras caught a glimpse of McGregor as he enjoyed some quality time with his family. As the fans surrounded him for autographs and pictures, the Irishman spent some time under the public lens. Seizing the opportunity, a reporter approached the charismatic fighter and inquired about his future plans.

McGregor responded with a glimmer of hope for fans and said that his goal is to fight in the future, “Fighting! Looking to get a fight going.” These words were nothing less than a beacon of relief for fans expecting to see him back.

While McGregor’s statement reignited the spark of anticipation, the reality remains that his absence from the USADA testing pool isn’t helping his comeback.

What does Michael Chandler think about this situation?

During a recent interview, Michael Chandler, McGregor’s prospective adversary, remained optimistic about their impending clash. Expressing his belief, Chandler affirmed that the fight with ‘The Notorious’ is still on the horizon, potentially taking place either by the end of this year or in the first quarter of the following year. While the precise timeline remains uncertain, Chandler’s words exuded confidence.

“As far as I’m concerned, the fight against Conor is still happening. Maybe it doesn’t happen by the end of this year, which it still might, but if not, it’s gonna be the first quarter next year.”

Everyone wants a piece of ‘The Notorious’ now

Conor McGregor has headlined seven of the best-selling pay-per-view events in UFC history, making him without question the organization’s top fighter attraction. So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that many fighters want to get in a fight with him. If not for winning against him, even losing would ensure that they get a lot of eyeballs on them.

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Ever since McGregor has been out of the Octagon, challengers have been emerging who apparently want to square off against him. YouTuber turned MMA fighter Jake Paul challenged ‘The Notorious’ earlier this year and claimed to be a “better boxer” than him. It was not the first time that Paul and McGregor crossed paths verbally.

Another challenger emerged as recently as last week in the form of Jeremy Stephens. The former UFC fighter, who has moved over to boxing, now taunted McGregor by asking him to “cross over to boxing” where “they let things slide more”. He was referring to McGregor missing the USADA deadline.

What do you think about the Irishman’s delayed comeback? Is the fight between Chandler and McGregor happening? Do comment below with what you think.

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