The largest star in MMA historical past will struggle in the principle occasion of UFC 303.
Conor McGregor’s long-awaited, highly-anticipated return to the octagon is official for UFC 303 in opposition to Michael Chandler, UFC CEO Dana White formally introduced the matchup following Saturday’s UFC 300 occasion.
The matchup will happen at welterweight, not middleweight as “The Infamous” beforehand claimed, and function the headlining act of the UFC 303 card, which matches down at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has lengthy been focused because the return opponent for McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after the 2 fighters coached opposing groups on “The Final Fighter” in 2023.
McGregor has not been in motion since breaking his leg in July 2021 in a trilogy bout in opposition to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Will probably be practically three years since he is seen motion.
The Irishman not too long ago expressed frustration on the UFC about his return, stating his “endurance is carrying skinny” after he re-entered the drug testing pool.
McGregor, 35, subsequently introduced he can be returning to struggle Chandler throughout Worldwide Battle Week on June 29, and that it might be contested within the middleweight division. That in the end proved false, however now McGregor will get to return to the octagon just a few months ahead of anticipated.
Seeking to derail what McGregor’s crew has dubbed because the “best return in sports activities historical past” will probably be former three-time Bellator champion Chandler, who sees his lengthy anticipate this matchup lastly repay. Chandler, 37, hasn’t competed since November 2022, the place he suffered a Battle of the Yr contender loss to Poirier at UFC 281.
The newest UFC 303 lineup now contains:
- Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor
- Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson
- Carlos Hernandez vs. Rei Tsuruya