Michael Chandler used his appearance on WWE Monday Night RAW to call out Conor McGregor for a long-discussed but unbooked fight, despite UFC CEO Dana White’s denial of any scheduled fight between the two.
Michael Chandler’s got a new game plan. He’s trying to lure Conor McGregor into a fight.
He’s a former three-time Bellator lightweight champ. He made a surprise appearance on WWE Monday Night RAW.
And what did he do? He used his time on the mic to call out McGregor. They’ve been talking about a showdown for a while now, but nothing’s been set yet.
Chandler’s not one to mince words. He said, “Hey, what’s up Anaheim! You are now in the presence of the most entertaining UFC fighter on the planet.”
He didn’t stop there. He called out McGregor, “Hey, there’s a man from Ireland that’s been making me wait for way too long. I’ve still got one dude on my mind! Conor McGregor, get your candy ass back to the octagon! We’ve got some unfinished business, boys! God bless. I’ll see you at the top!”
Chandler, 37, has been linked to a UFC return bout against McGregor. They were coaches against each other on The Ultimate Fighter 31 in early 2023.
McGregor announced his comeback fight against Chandler on New Year’s Eve. It’s supposed to be on June 29 at the UFC’s annual International Fight Week pay-per-view.
But here’s the twist. UFC CEO Dana White denied McGregor’s claims. He said there’s no fight on the books for the former two-division champion.
McGregor, 35, hasn’t fought since he broke his leg in his July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. He’s been vocal about his displeasure about not being booked by the UFC.
McGregor has only fought four times in MMA since winning the UFC lightweight title in 2016. He had a victory over Donald Cerrone, a title loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, and back-to-back stoppage losses to Poirier.
UFC and WWE are now under the same corporate umbrella, TKO Group Holdings. Chandler’s latest move to coax McGregor back is a creative way to use the corporate synergy to amplify his rivalry with the Irishman.