Conor McGregor claims UFC comeback against Michael Chandler is ‘all systems go’ for summer

Just days after hitting out at the UFC over a lack of communication, the ex-champion has shared ‘great news’

Conor McGregor has claimed that his UFC comeback against Michael Chandler is “all systems go” for this summer, just days after hitting out at the promotion.

McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg against Dustin Poirier, and his planned return against Chandler has faced numerous delays since its announcement in February 2023.

McGregor, 35, is currently promoting the remake of Road House, which stars the Irishman and will be released on Amazon Prime on Thursday (21 March). During a string of media appearances relating to the film, the former dual-weight champion has criticised the UFC over a “lack of transparency” around his return – but McGregor has now shared “great news”.

“We got confirmation a few days ago that it’s all systems go, and ‘The Mac’, ‘The Notorious’ will be returning to the UFC Octagon this summer,” McGregor told ESPN on Tuesday (19 March).

McGregor also confirmed that Chandler will be his next opponent, adding: “Shut up, Michael, you f***ing imbecile. The man doesn’t shut up. I seen him on [WWE] Raw.

“I like Mike, [but] I’m going to bust him up. I’m going to bust Mike up, yeah? If I say it, I do it. If I say it, it gets done. End of. Put that on my [grave]stone.”

McGregor said, however, that no weight class has been decided for the fight with Chandler.

In 2016, McGregor became the first dual-weight UFC champion by winning the lightweight title a year after taking the featherweight belt.

The Irishman has also fought at welterweight three times in the UFC, and while McGregor previously claimed that he could face Chandler at middleweight, he backtracked on that idea in his interview with ESPN.