Conor McGregor, former two-division UFC champion, announced his comeback fight against Michael Chandler, scheduled for June 29th in Las Vegas. They will compete in the middleweight division, (two weight classes above the lightweight division where they normally fight). McGregor, who has not fought since suffering a broken ankle in July 2021, now has MMA fans counting down until June 2024.
Image – Sporting News
Jump to Middleweight
McGregor’s wanting to jump weight classes has added some extra interest to his comeback. Considering how long he has been out of the octagon, fans have begun to question McGregor’s skills and age. A win over Chandler could prove he can still stand his ground in the octagon and be a champion.
Chandler seems eager to head into the octagon with McGregor, seeing an opportunity. With McGregor being 35 it is in question if he will continue to fight if he does lose, or if it will be time to retire? Chandler’s last fight in November 2022 resulted in a submission loss to Dustin Poirier, who was also McGregor’s last opponent before his injury who he lost to.
Weight Cut
McGregor’s move middleweight, means not having to cut a significant amount of weight. There is speculation about this choice, but McGregor is still listed as a -115 favorite and Chandler at -105. McGregor as the favorite had mixed reactions with people commenting and coming to social media saying Conor should not be the favorite in this fight.
Announced; No Contract
Chandler has yet to sign the official contract for the fight. In a statement to ESPN, Chandler stated that “the fight is not 100% confirmed until both fighters step into the octagon.” Chandler also said, that negotiations are being worked out, but he is preparing for the June 29th date based on his inside communications with the UFC.
Image – Men’s Health
The Comeback
There has been a lot of anticipation and eagerness towards this fight for an extremely long time. But trying to predict who wins this fight is anyone’s guess. Regardless, McGregor’s comeback will be huge night for the UFC .
Image – MMA Fighting