Conor McGregor announces first fight of ambitious three-bout plan

Former two-weight champion McGregor has a return date for his UFC comeback fight as he will face Michael Chandler on June 29 in Las Vegas

UFC legend Conor McGregor finally has an official date for the first of three targeted fights this year.

Former two-weight champion McGregor will fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29. The fight was announced by the promotion after the UFC 300 post-fight press conference on Saturday evening but McGregor wasn’t in Las Vegas to face-off with Chandler despite his rival flying into Sin City.

McGregor is now one step closer to fulfilling his three-fight plan for this year that starts with a June clash against Chandler, trilogy fight with Nate Diaz in September and boxing match against Manny Pacquiao to see out the year. "I wish for this on Mexican Independence Day in the Sphere," McGregor wrote of fighting Diaz for the third time on Instagram.

"Chandler June. Diaz September. I have let this be known," he added. McGregor suffered a shock defeat to Diaz on short-notice when they fought in 2016, but the Irishman avenged his loss several months later and the rivals have since been backed to fight for the third time.

Diaz left the UFC two years ago and lost to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in his ring debut last August. Diaz is back in the ring on June 1 for a rematch against his old UFC foe Jorge Masvidal, who won the symbolic ‘BMF’ belt in their 2019 fight. McGregor is seemingly hoping to leave the UFC or be pardoned of his contractual duties with the promotion for a return to boxing against Pacquiao in December.

“Tell Manny to grow a set of balls and fight me at a higher weight class,” McGregor said of the former eight-weight boxing world champion. “Why not? It’s his sport. If he wants me to come down to a smaller weight, I should be able to use more of my weapons. I should be able to kick. I should be able to grapple. Shouldn’t that be fair? … Say it to him. Is he a man or a mouse? Is Manny a man or a mouse?”

McGregor’s only boxing fight came in 2017 when he was stopped by ring legend Floyd Mayweather. The fight was a huge success commercially, selling a massive 4.3million buys on pay-per-view. It remains the second best-selling fight in boxing history behind Mayweather and Pacquaio’s ‘Fight of the Century’ in 2015.