07 March 2024 , 20:20
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Conor McGregor is set to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29.
McGregor has not fought since he broke his leg at the end of the first round of his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021. He and Chandler were due to fight last December, and were touted to fight at UFC 300 next month - but will finally meet at the end of International Fight Week this summer.
Chandler took to Twitter to say: "This is going to be a special camp for me. I’ve never been away from competition this long in the last 22 years of hand to hand combat. Laying a foundation now. I break him within two rounds. 114 days." That time frame puts him on course to fight McGregor in June and the Irishman later confirmed the date. "June 29," he told a reporter when asked for a date. "June 29. – yeah, call that."
UFC CEO Dana White has consistently refused to confirm a date for McGregor's return, claiming it would be autumn until the Dubliner returned. Asked recently about McGregor fighting at UFC 300 on April 13, he said: "No. Conor McGregor has probably been one of the best business partners we've ever had.
"Getting Conor to show up to s*** on time is a problem. But Conor, as far as the business goes, everybody talks about how Conor used to be on the dole and all this stuff. For a guy that was on the dole, Conor McGregor is a very good businessman, and Conor McGregor has always been a great partner to us.
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"There's never any hanging out and haggling for money or, you know, 'You pay me more money.' Conor McGregor has never done anything even remotely close to that. It's the exact opposite."
McGregor has won just one fight since 2016, a 40-second KO of Donald Cerrone four years ago. After winning the lightweight title with a second-round stoppage of Eddie Alvarez, he went on to lose to Floyd Mayweather and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor lost his rematch with Poirier before suffering an injury in their third meeting. Chandler's last fight was also against Poirier with the former Bellator champion losing by third-round submission.