Chandler: “It’s the last time you ever see Conor McGregor in the octagon”
The Irishman and the American will meet on June 29 at UFC 303 in Las Vegas. It will mark the return of the biggest MMA star.
After lots of uncertainty and doubts, the UFC made the return of Conor McGregor official. The Irishman will face Michael Chandler at UFC 300 on June 29 in Vegas. After almost three years out of the cage, the company’s double former champion, the star who put the sport in the spotlight, will fight again.
“There’s a chance this is the greatest comeback in combat sports history by the sport’s biggest star. That’s why you have to buy the pay-per-view. Or the other option, the more likely option, is I absolutely molly wop this dude and put a beatdown of biblical proportions on him, and this is the last time you ever see Conor McGregor compete inside the octagon”, Chandler said on his Instagram account.
‘The Notorious’ is the most charismatic face in the UFC. The Irishman, with his unique personality, put MMA in the spotlight, which by then was an emerging sport, and made millions of spectators stay until the wee hours of the morning to follow his fights. In his third clash with Dustin Poirier, one of the company’s favorite rivalries, McGregor broke his tibia and had to leave the competition to undergo surgery.
During his recovery, he was removed from the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s list (USADA), and his return was delayed because he didn’t reenter it. Since January, the UFC and USADA stopped working together, and many say it was because of McGregor. Now his return is closer than ever. The fight with Chandler was scheduled for December, when The Ultimate Fighter, the company’s reality show, ended. However, his problems with anti-doping tests didn’t allow the double former champion to return to the octagon at the time.
Dana White, who seemed optimistic in the last months when asked about the return of the cash cow, dropped a bombshell at the press conference after UFC 300. He announced that McGregor and Chandler will be the stars at UFC 303 on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. It was much-anticipated news throughout the week of the historic event and now it’s finally official.
With an eye on the BMF belt
Chandler’s plans go beyond McGregor. The American fighter, like many others, was impressed with Max Holloway’s performance at UFC 300.
“Would I fight Max for the BMF belt? Absolutely,” he said during an Instagram Q&A. The Hawaiian spectacularly knocked out Justin Gaethje in the last second of the fifth round to become ‘the baddest man’ in the company.
“I think Max is a real one. Max embodies the BMF. Max created the most ‘holy shit’ moment, the most BMF moment that we have ever seen. I would love the opportunity down the line,” he added.
For now, the next on the list is Ilia Topuria. The Hawaiian asked the Spanish-Georgian to fight for his featherweight belt. El Matador was in the front row watching the fight and accepted without hesitation, as long as Max’s BMF belt is at stake.