Latest news with #MichaelChandler
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Chandler still wants Conor McGregor fight, but won't 'lose sleep at night' over it
Michael Chandler still wants Conor McGregor fight, but won't 'lose sleep at night' over it Show Caption Hide Caption Michael Chandler breaks silence on Paddy Pimblett, Conor McGregor Michael Chandler talks to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn in his first interview since his loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314. Michael Chandler isn't giving up on the idea of a fight against Conor McGregor, but he isn't losing any sleep over it either. After coaching opposite one another on "The Ultimate Fighter," Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) and McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) were supposed to put a cap on the season by meeting in the octagon. Although the fight was trending towards becoming a reality as contracts were drawn up for last June, the fight never materialized. "I get asked about it in every single interview, and rightfully so," Chandler told MMA Junkie. "The Conor-Chandler thing just stays alive, right? Just a couple of weeks ago, all of a sudden, he said, 'Iron' Michael Chandler, unfinished business.' It's not just the fact that we had the contract that we were supposed to fight in June, we did 'The Ultimate Fighter,' we have to finish 'The Ultimate Fighter.' It's just like staying alive." Chandler decided to move on after sitting on the sidelines for two years while waiting for McGregor to make it to the octagon. After a submission loss to Dustin Poirier in November 2022, Chandler returned to action at UFC 309 in November 2024, where he dropped a unanimous decision in a rematch against Charles Oliveira. Chandler's most recent outing was at UFC 314, where Paddy Pimblett stopped him in the third round. It's been a rough stretch for Chandler. While the interest in a McGregor matchup isn't nearly as high as it once was, talk of the potential fight continues. McGregor hasn't been active since a gruesome injury in a trilogy bout against Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. The intrigue remains due to the personalities and their ability to create excitement in the cage. While Chandler himself still wants the fight to happen, he learned his lesson about waiting around before for the former two-division UFC champ. If it happens, it happens. "It's one of those deals where I'm not losing sleep at night, trying to get the Conor fight, wanting to get the Conor fight," Chandler said. "If me and Conor are supposed to fight, and he's supposed to come back, it's gonna happen and I don't need to force it. With that being said, if I'm a betting man, I'm not sure if he comes back. Do I want to fight him? Do I want to finish 'The Ultimate Fighter 31'? Absolutely. So, we'll see. "All I know is, I'm going to enjoy my family over the summertime, work on some big time business that I've been working on for the last couple weeks since the fight, and see how this whole thing unfolds. ... If that Conor fight is out there and that needs to happen in January, that makes a lot of sense, so we'll see."
Irish Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dana White says Conor McGregor "not fighting anytime soon"
UFC boss Dana White has seemed to put the idea of Conor McGregor returning to the competition on ice. "The Notorious" has been active on social media recently, adding to the rumour mill of a potential return. He has asked to return to the UFC's drug testing pool, which would make him eligible to compete in the promotion. This came after he posted training footage online in which fans said he looked slow. He took to X recently to remonstrate about Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira having a fight arranged for November. But White, speaking to Adam Glyn, appeared to put off any potential McGregor fight. He said: 'He's not fighting anytime soon. I haven't talked to him in a minute, but yeah, I don't know.' Asked about McGregor and his stardom, White said: 'There will never be another Conor McGregor. There will be another superstar that pops up, but there will never be another Conor McGregor. "Somebody will pop up. They make themselves. A hundred percent. "We find people who have talent and obviously if you have the personality that all those other people have that we were just talking about, that's incredible, but I'm always just looking for the best fighters in the world and the rest is up to them.' The Crumlin native was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler last June, but was forced to pull out due to a broken toe he sustained in the build-up to the bout. His last fight, in 2021, ended with him suffering a broken leg in the first round of action against Dustin Poirier. In the time since this fight, he has starred in the Amazon movie Road House which released in 2024, netting him $5.5 million, making him the highest-paid first-time actor ever.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paddy Pimblett reveals next UFC legend he wants to take down, and it's not Conor McGregor
Popular UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett has revealed the legend he wants to take down next: Justin Gaethje. 'I'm just planning for myself in October. I think it will more than likely be Justin Gaethje because Max [Holloway] and Dustin [Poirier] are fighting, that's [No. 4 and No. 5],' he told ESPN. 'Obviously, Justin is a legend. He comes out and he has a scrap. You can't not like Justin Gaethje. He comes out and has a scrap every time. But he's another one who is coming to the back end of his career, and I really think that I finish him.' Advertisement Related: Paddy Pimblett next fight – 3 opponent options for 'The Baddy's' Octagon return A few years ago, many UFC fans would have laughed or rolled their eyes at the idea of Pimblett facing Gaethje, let alone having a real chance to beat him. However, his back-to-back wins over former champion Tony Ferguson and division stalwart King Green in 2023 and 2024 quieted many doubters. Paddy Pimblett record: 23-3 (6 knockouts, 11 submissions) Then his dominant April victory over fan favorite Michael Chandler silenced those remaining Pimblett detractors. The Englishman looked good throughout the fight and scored an impressive third-round submission over the former title challenger. All three of those fights were classic UFC bookings. Advertisement The company placed a fast-rising star against a name fighter whose best days are behind them. At 36 and with over 30 fights on his resume, the former interim champion falls into that category. So, a clash between the two top 10 fighters is possible this year. Former two-division champion Conor McGregor would be in that group, too. And the fight hype between brash Irish and English fighters could be spectacular. However, after so many losses, false promises, and scrapped plans, McGregor's name is so damaged that he isn't even a thought for a fighter like Paddy Pimblett right now. Also Read:: UFC pound for pound rankings: Belal Muhammad loses top 10 spot following UFC 315 defeat Related Headlines
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dana White provides damning update on Conor McGregor's UFC future
Dana White has provided little cause for optimism regarding a potential UFC return for Conor McGregor. McGregor, 36, hasn't competed in MMA since suffering back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021, but was on the cusp of a return after agreeing to square off against long-time rival Michael Chandler at UFC 303. Advertisement That was until McGregor broke his toe just two weeks out from the hotly-anticipated headliner, forcing the fight to be called off. The Irishman has since gone quiet on when he was next fighting next, turning his focus to politics after vowing to run for Ireland's presidency in March. And now, White has confirmed that McGregor is further away from a UFC comeback than ever. 'He's not fighting anytime soon,' White said in a streetside interview with Adam Glyn. 'I haven't talked to him in a minute. But I don't know.' McGregor has become increasingly vocal about issues out of the Octagon and embarked on a much-publicised visit to the White House on St Patrick's Day to air grievances over immigration in Ireland, pleading for help from the US. It comes after a civil-court jury found he had raped a woman in Dublin in 2018. McGregor, who denied a claim that he 'brutally raped and battered' the woman, said he would appeal the verdict, which required him to pay over £200,000 in damages.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Dana White provides damning update on Conor McGregor's UFC future
Dana White has provided little cause for optimism regarding a potential UFC return for Conor McGregor. McGregor, 36, hasn't competed in MMA since suffering back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021, but was on the cusp of a return after agreeing to square off against long-time rival Michael Chandler at UFC 303. That was until McGregor broke his toe just two weeks out from the hotly-anticipated headliner, forcing the fight to be called off. The Irishman has since gone quiet on when he was next fighting next, turning his focus to politics after vowing to run for Ireland's presidency in March. And now, White has confirmed that McGregor is further away from a UFC comeback than ever. 'He's not fighting anytime soon,' White said in a streetside interview with Adam Glyn. 'I haven't talked to him in a minute. But I don't know.' McGregor has become increasingly vocal about issues out of the Octagon and embarked on a much-publicised visit to the White House on St Patrick's Day to air grievances over immigration in Ireland, pleading for help from the US. It comes after a civil-court jury found he had raped a woman in Dublin in 2018. McGregor, who denied a claim that he 'brutally raped and battered' the woman, said he would appeal the verdict, which required him to pay over £200,000 in damages.
