Conor McGregor won’t fight until 2025, the former UFC champion said Saturday.
“One thing is for sure,” he told Ariel Helwani during DAZN’s broadcast of the heavyweight fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. “Whenever it is and wherever it is, I will be 100 percent ready. That’s all I can focus on right now.”
In June, McGregor pulled out of his scheduled fight with Michael Chandler while citing an injury. Chandler since was matched up with another opponent for a bout in November.
“It is what it is,” McGregor said. “I just take it on board and just rock on. My job is to just go to the gym, be in the gym, be in shape.”
McGregor, 36, has not fought since July 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier by TKO after breaking his leg in the first round. McGregor has lost three of his last four fights, raising doubts about whether he can recapture his old form.
He won the UFC featherweight championship in 2015 and UFC lightweight championship in 2016.
McGregor has spoken openly about having only two fights left on his UFC contract, and once those bouts are completed he’ll be free to pursue any other combat sports interests that he wants. In addition to being a member of the UFC roster, McGregor also currently serves as a part owner of BKFC, a bare-knuckle boxing promotion he has expressed interest in competing for as well.
All he can say for sure is that he would like to conclude his time with the UFC in 2025. After that, it’s anybody’s guess as to what MMA’s biggest draw will do next.
“I must,” McGregor said. “It’s the promised land, so we’ll see. I don’t even know. No one in the space knows. I’m the highest-generating fighter on planet Earth right now in today’s space and what happens afterwards, as I’m a free agent, I’m not so sure.”
Michael Chandler’s New Fight Is ‘Weird’
Michael Chandler’s first UFC opponent has branded his new fight ‘weird’ after spending two years on the sidelines.
The former Bellator champion was inked to sign Conor McGregor in February of last year, and the pair coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter. But after two years of delays and reschedulings, he has opted to go a different route.
Now, Chandler has signed up to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden; the same venue where he had his last outing in November of 2022. But his former foe isn’t too sure that the rematch of their 2021 title fight makes a great deal of sense at this stage.
The Rematch
After waiting for two years, it appears that Michael Chandler has decided to take his career into his own hands again and has signed up for a big rematch at Madison Square Garden. He faced Oliveira in 2021 for the vacant lightweight title, and appeared to be coasting to victory before being stopped.
Michael Chandler will rematch Charles Oliveira at #UFC309 on November 16th.Co-main event. 5 rounds. pic.twitter.com/knjpAfHfQY
Since then, he has lost to Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, while viciously knocking out Tony Ferguson in a so-so run. As he approaches the end of his 30s, the American is likely seeing this as one last run at UFC gold, having won the belt in his previous promotion.
The news was announced last week, much to the surprise of fans who were expecting an announcement imminently about the McGregor fight. It had been arranged for UFC 303 in June, but the Irishman had to pull out with a broken toe.
After his stunning win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 landed him in the top five at lightweight, there had been rumors that Dan Hooker might get the fight with Oliveira. However, it came as a shock to many when it was announced that the former champion would instead rematch Chandler at UFC 309.
“It is what it is,” Hooker told Submission Radio when asked about the announcement. “I get why they kind of put that fight together. That’s a big fight for the division, but I don’t know, it’s a weird fight… I was kind of trying to justify the fight, but no, it’s just a weird fight.
“Yeah, that might be just because I might have something up my sleeve as well too there, brother. Might have a little something on the fire there, but it must be good if I’m saying nothing. I get why Chandler would want the fight.
“Obviously, if he gets past Oliveira, the UFC has kind of promised him a title shot, but I don’t know too much about what Charles will get out of it. I can’t see it like the fight is amazing. At our level at the top five or six in the division all of these fights are a coin flip.”
The Conor McGregor Factor
While it appears that a win over Oliveira would set him up for a shot at champion Islam Makhachev, there is also always the possibility that Chandler ends up going back to the Conor McGregor well. The Irishman is the sport’s most famous figure, and would draw a monster purse.
And speaking yesterday at Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois in London, McGregor indicated that he would still be interested in facing Chandler once the Oliveira fight is done. He claims to want two fights next year before entering one of the most anticipated free agency periods in history.
And Chandler is still open to the idea, telling reporters at UFC 306 last week: “I’ve always given my opponents a ton of respect. There’s a difference between booking a fight with Conor McGregor, and everyone else in the entire sport.
“There’s different dates, locations, that you put Conor McGregor on. It’s different, and there’s a lot of layers. I love the fight against Conor, and I will fight Conor in 2025. But right now we’re going to go and fight and beat Charles.”
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler: Still Possible
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler might not be dead just yet.
The road to that matchup has seen numerous bumps over the course of the past two years, with the rivals serving as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 32 and then being scheduled for UFC 303 this past June, only to see their fight fall through when McGregor withdrew due to injury.
Chandler has since been booked for a rematch with Charles Oliveira, which takes place at UFC 309 on Nov. 16. As for McGregor, he and UFC CEO Dana White finally seem to be in agreement that “The Notorious” won’t be seen in the octagon again until next year.
“It will be 2025,” McGregor said in an interview with DAZN during the Joshua vs. Dubois broadcast. “We’ll see. My opponent that I had scheduled, Chandler, has gotten matched. It is what it is. I just take it on board and just rock on. My job is just to go to the gym, be in the gym, be in shape, and one thing is for sure, whenever it is and wherever it is, I’ll be 100 percent ready. That’s all I can focus on right now.”
With Chandler occupied for the moment, it appears that McGregor has to set his sights on a new opponent. While he’s keeping his options open, he wants it to be known that Chandler is not out of the picture.
“Who knows nowadays?” McGregor said. “It doesn’t matter, it does not matter. Just as long as I can get back, whoever. I’d like it to be Chandler. I’d like to get that squared away, so I wish him well against Oliveira, but let’s see how it goes.”
The Next Chapter
The Irishman was due to fight American Michael Chandler in June, but a toe injury forced him to withdraw.
Chandler, 38, has since been rebooked to fight Charles Oliveira in November, with many fans speculating as a result that McGregor would not be fit to fight in 2024.
UFC president White confirmed a new opponent for the 36-year-old has not been approached.
“It’s going to [be] determined when Conor comes back, who the opponent is,” White said during a Q&A with fans in Ireland.
McGregor has memorable UFC wins over Eddie Alvarez, Nate Diaz and Jose Aldo but has lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Diaz and twice to Poirier - his last fight was against the American in 2021.
Looking Ahead
McGregor is confident he'll compete in each of the two fights left on his UFC contract next year.
“I must. I must,” McGregor said Saturday on the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois broadcast in London, eager to end the longest layoff of his career. “It’s the promised lands.”
McGregor hasn't stepped into the Octagon since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
The former two-division champion said he isn't sure what'll happen with his career after those two bouts, but he hinted that he intends to test free agency after fighting out his deal.
“I don’t even know,” McGregor said. “I don’t think no one in the space knows. I’m the highest-generating fighter in the space now. I’m the highest-generating fighter on planet Earth right now, in today’s space. What happens afterward as I’m a free agent? I am not so sure.”
McGregor said his comeback fight is now being targeted for 2025 after Michael Chandler agreed to a rematch with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 on Nov. 16.
McGregor and Chandler had been in talks to square off for the last 19 months and were scheduled to headline UFC 303 in June, but the Irishman withdrew due to a broken toe.
“It does not matter,” McGregor said of his next opponent. “As long as I can get back. Whoever. ... I’d like it to be Chandler. I’d like to get that squared away. So I wish him well against Oliveira. But let’s see how it goes.”
McGregor said he wasn't bothered by Chandler pivoting away from their planned matchup.
“I just take it on board and rock on,” McGregor said. “My job is just to go to the gym, be in the gym, be in shape. And one thing is for sure: Whenever it is, and wherever it is, I will be 100% ready. That's all I can focus on right now.”
