What’s the earliest date Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler can happen after UFC stars coach the Ultimate Fighter?
CONOR MCGREGOR’s blockbuster return to the UFC will take place later this year.
The UFC’s poster boy will be welcomed back to the octagon by three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler.
Conor McGregor will make his blockbuster return to the octagon later this yearSPORTSFILE
The Notorious will be welcomed back to the octagon by Michael ChandlerGETTY
REUTERSMcGregor hasn’t set foot inside the octagon since breaking his leg in July 2021[/caption]
The pair’s mouthwatering showdown will take place after they coach opposite each other on season 31 of the Ultimate Fighter.
Filming is expected to begin in the coming months, with the show set to air on May 30 and end on August 15.
A date for McGregor’s eagerly-anticipated return to the cage, however, has not been finalised.
But SunSport is on hand to give you some insight into when the fight will happen.
When is Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler going to take place?
The date for the big-money showdown currently hinges on when McGregor re-enters the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s testing pool.
McGregor wasn’t tested for the entirety of 2022 as he recovered from the horrific broken leg he suffered against Dustin Poirier in July 2021 and underwent a huge massive body transformation.
The Notorious needs to be in the pool for a minimum of six months before he can compete – unless he’s given an exemption.
If he were to enter the pool this month, he’d be free to fight in August.
Should he re-enrol in March, a September return will be on the cards for the former two-division champion.
What channel is it on and can it be live-streamed?
As with his last three fights, McGregor’s clash with Chandler is expected to land on BT Sport Box Office.
The prelims will be live on UFC Fight Pass and BT Sport 1.
The numbered pay-per-view event’s preliminary fights will get underway at 11pm, with the main card starting at 3am.
Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler card
Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler – welterweight fight
What has been said?
Chandler told MMA Fighting: “If he lands one on the button, it’s going to be a rough night for me.
“If I land one on the button, it’s going to be a rough night for him, but which one of us can do it?
“I’m going to get in his face, make him take a backwards step right away.
“He’s going to feel my presence from the very beginning of the fight and then from there wherever the fight takes us.
“If I want to pick him up and put him down, I can pick him up and put him down and put a beating on him and get a submission that way.
“I believe I finish Conor in the second round. That’s my ‘Mystic Mike’ take on this, later on this year whenever it is.”
McGregor, meanwhile, has yet to speak out on his imminent return to the cage – which he hasn’t set foot in close to two years.
