Michael Chandler explains he's far away from Conor McGregor fight but will face the UFC megastar someday
Michael Chandler has opened up about his canceled fight against UFC icon Conor McGregor and how he views their storied MMA rivalry.
Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are both regarded as highly skilled veterans in the sport of mixed martial arts. The two share a long and storied rivalry, albeit one that's bereft of an actual MMA contest against each other.
Chandler has now revisited and put forth his views on their feud. "Iron" has also outlined that he feels the McGregor matchup is way too far from him now, but he still believes that their paths would indeed cross someday.
The Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight was postponed and subsequently canceled
The American fighter's rivalry with Ireland's Conor McGregor is one that many fans deem as legendary, despite the fact that their much-awaited MMA fight failed to materialize over the course of multiple years.
McGregor last fought in July 2021, suffering a mid-fight leg injury and losing via TKO to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Following his extensive injury rehabilitation, speculation abounded that "The Notorious" one could fight Chandler.
In 2023, McGregor and Chandler served as rival coaches on the UFC-affiliated TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) reality show for its 31st season. They were officially booked to clash in a welterweight bout at UFC 303 in June 2024.
Nevertheless, McGregor was forced out of the matchup due to a toe injury. The fight was postponed before eventually being canceled. While McGregor still hasn't returned to the octagon, Chandler fought twice -- getting outpointed in a rematch against Charles Oliveira in 2024, and losing via TKO to Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett in 2025.
Michael Chandler feels Conor McGregor fight is currently too far, but could happen someday
Conor McGregor is scheduled to face Max Holloway in a rematch at welterweight at UFC 329 on July 11. Prior to that, Michael Chandler would fight Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight matchup at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14.
During a recent conversation with MMA Junkie, Chandler was asked about his fight against McGregor that fell apart. The former Bellator lightweight champion responded by alluding to the multitude of high-profile events that built significant anticipation for their clash. He stated, "I mean this whole thing's been an up-and-down soap opera for the better part of a couple of years."
However, he added, "And as big as it was, as entrenched as I was into it, man, I just feel like I'm a million miles away from it now. You know? I don't really have any emotions about it. Maybe that's because, obviously, I'm focused on Mauricio Ruffy at the White House. But, man, I wish Conor well."
Making an allusion to McGregor's standing as a combat sports megastar, the All-American emphasized that MMA is a better place when McGregor is training and en route to his return.
Furthermore, Chandler asserted that he'll be cageside to watch McGregor vs. Holloway and is very intrigued in how that matchup plays out. He continued, opining that given their intertwined history, he will probably fight McGregor someday.
Signaling that his fight against McGregor could transpire during their UFC careers, or perhaps even elsewhere after the same, Chandler said, "Because, you know, whether me and Conor fight in the UFC or not, Conor and I will compete against each other at some point, in some venue, somewhere, somehow, some way."
Chandler highlighted, "The story is already built. The storyline is already there. The animosity is already there. But also, the mutual respect is already there. It's got all the makings of a blockbuster. So if it happens down the line, it happens down the line. But I wish him well."
Watch Michael Chandler discuss his views on the Conor McGregor feud below (*comments at the 10:15-minute mark of the video):
