Conor McGregor to end three-year UFC absence

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

Former two-weight champion McGregor, 35, has not fought since July 2021 and has lost his past two fights.

The UFC confirmed the welterweight bout with American Chandler following UFC 300 in Las Vegas on Saturday.

McGregor has 22 wins and six defeats in his MMA career, while 37-year-old Chandler is 23-8.

McGregor broke a leg in defeat by Poirier in his most recent fight in July 2021. He also lost to Poirier by second-round stoppage six months earlier.

McGregor has won only once since becoming the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight champion - at lightweight and featherweight - in 2016.

Chandler has been involved in some thrilling fights since moving from Bellator to the UFC in 2021, despite losing three of his five bouts.

He lost to then champion Charles Oliveira in his second UFC fight before defeats by Justin Gaethje and Poirier.

The McGregor-Chandler match-up was confirmed but no set date early last year, when they were opposing coaches in the UFC's Ultimate Fighter reality TV series.

Holloway knockout

Meanwhile, Max Holloway's epic knockout of Justin Gaethje with just one second left on the clock in Las Vegas on Sunday again cemented the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) status as the dominant player in mixed martial arts, despite some strong challenges from competitors.

The fact that the title on the line at UFC 300 was simply an invention to pit fan favourites against each another in violent brawls does not take away from the moment; arguably, it adds to it.

With the clock ticking down in the fifth and final round, Hawaiian Holloway pointed to the centre of the cage and invited Gaethje to meet him there, and the two unleashed flurries of punches until Gaethje suddenly folded like a poolside deckchair at one of the Strip's famous hotels, knocked out cold.

Staging the 300th major fight card in its history, the UFC delivered on its promise of a night of unforgettable fights, with Alex Pereira and Zhang Weili retaining their respective titles, but it was Holloway who stole the headlines.

The Professional Fighters League, which utilises a unique format of a regular season and playoffs, has recently made major moves, purchasing UFC rival Bellator and staging a card of its own on Friday in Vegas.

Whatever shine the PFL managed to take from the UFC soon disappeared as, less than 24 hours later, their former champion and biggest star Kayla Harrison made her UFC debut with a resounding submission win over Holly Holm.

The greatest obstacle facing the PFL as they seek to compete is that the history of the UFC is effectively the history of MMA, and they have the resources, the roster and the brand recognition needed to continue to dominate the sport.

"When you have a night that looked like the greatest in combat sports history on paper, and then it absolutely delivers, it's the best," White said.

- Reuters