Despite recent claims made by Conor McGregor that UFC was prepared to move on from Michael Chandler as a possible opponent, Dana White has confirmed that this is not the case. McGregor and Chandler have been serving as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 31,” with the expectation that they would face off at the end of the season. However, McGregor’s delayed entry into the USADA drug testing pool has cast doubt over his return to the sport.
White Confirms McGregor’s Readiness to Fight
In a post-fight press conference for the Contender Series on Tuesday night, White addressed the situation, stating, “I talked to Conor, either yesterday or the day before, and yeah, he’s ready to fight. I said, ‘Listen, get in shape and let’s figure this out.’” McGregor’s future opponent became a topic of discussion after he called out Justin Gaethje, the new BMF champion, following Gaethje’s victory over Dustin Poirier in the UFC 291 headliner on July 29.
McGregor’s Mind Games
In a since-deleted tweet, McGregor implied that UFC might be interested in booking him against someone other than Chandler. “I’ll do it if they want, no [problem],” he wrote. “I don’t think they want him not more [though]. There’s loads of juicy fights around and my return date is my return date. I never gave a f—k about who it was. Ever. I’ll fight anyone. I’ll even fly them to me, ask [Paulie Malignaggi]. Flown in and [beat] around.” According to White, this was just another example of McGregor’s penchant for playing mind games, especially with potential opponents. “Yeah, he’s fighting Chandler. He likes to f—k with everybody,” White said.