Michael Chandler ended 2023 without a fight, the first inactive year of his professional MMA career, but hopes to fight Conor McGregor at some point in 2024.
In 2023, Michael Chandler started the year with high hopes. He was expecting to fight Conor McGregor.
However, as the year ends, he finds himself with an inactive professional MMA career. He’s still hopeful that the McGregor fight will happen in 2024.
Chandler admitted his frustration on The MMA Hour. He loves fighting, loves competing, and it’s hard to train without a fight date in sight. Yet, he’s been extremely active in the UFC over the last 15 years.
He’s fought hard, against tough opponents. He’s had Fights of the Year, Knockouts of the Year. Whenever he feels frustrated, he reminds himself that things will work out as they’re supposed to.
McGregor, 35, and Chandler, 37, were expected to fight in 2023. But for various reasons, the fight didn’t happen. McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion, hasn’t fought since suffering a leg injury in July 2021.
McGregor is eligible to compete again on April 8, 2024. This date could line up with a potential headline fight at UFC 300.
Chandler made a big announcement before his The MMA Hour appearance. It turned out to be a partnership with Hiatus Tequila, but many speculated it would be the McGregor fight announcement.
Chandler said he’d love for the speculation to stop. He doesn’t have a date or location for the fight, but he’s sure it’ll happen next year. He plans to stay in shape and train hard until then.
McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, said the UFC might be targeting summer 2024 for McGregor’s return. Kavanagh and his team were frustrated by the news. He wondered if the UFC was planning to hold McGregor out until International Fight Week in July.
Chandler, however, isn’t convinced by Kavanagh’s claims. He respects McGregor and Kavanagh, but he’s aware that they’re good at creating their own narrative. He’s seen McGregor talk about other opponents, different dates, and dismiss the idea of fighting him.
Chandler remains confident. He’s been visualizing knocking McGregor out for over a year. He sees McGregor training and knows he’s coming back. Chandler believes the greatest comeback in combat sports history goes through him.