Mixed Martial Arts: Superstar Conor McGregor confirms UFC 303 comeback against Michael Chandler at Las Vegas

UFC chief executive Dana White announces the McGregor-Chandler fight. Credits: Image - Getty, video - Reuters

Mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor's long-awaited return to UFC action will come June 29 against Michael Chandler at Las Vegas.

While McGregor, 35, said earlier this year that the bout would take place then, chief executive Dana White has made the official announcement at UFC 300.

The McGregor-Chandler fight at 170 pounds (welterweight) will headline UFC 303. 

McGregor (22-6) became the first fight to hold two UFC crowns at the same time, when he captured both featherweight and lightweight titles in 2008. He added the welterweight belt in 2016.  

'The Notorious' has not fought since July 2021, when he broke his left tibia and fibula in a bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 at Vegas. The Irishman's last victory came January 2020 against Donald Cerrone.

In the meantime, he made his dramatic film debut as villain Knox, starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a remake of the classic movie Road House.

"It's not that we've been working on it for ages," said White. "There's all kinds of things that go on behind the scenes - it's all about timing.

"Chandler's been ready, but Conor hasn't been ready. Conor had a lot of obligations he had to deal with.

"You don't want him accepting a fight, when he's got a ton of obligations and can't train 100 percent, so here we are tonight."

The seeds of this showdown were sown, when McGregor and Chandler coached opposing teams in UFC's The Ultimate Fighter reality-TV show, with the pair going nose to nose and having to be separated by White. 

The most recent fight for Chandler (23-8) was also against Poirier, when he lost by submission in November 2022. Chandler, 37, signed with the UFC in 2020, after winning the lightweight championship three times with the Bellator promotion.

Reuters