Conor McGregor’s next fight vs. Michael Chandler finally revealed for UFC 303

· New York Post

After a tease at the end of 2023, Conor McGregor’s comeback fight is set.

On Saturday night, UFC CEO Dana White announced McGregor will fight his long-anticipated opponent Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas.

The fight, which will take place at 170 pounds, will be the highlight of UFC’s annual International Fight Week.

On Dec. 31, McGregor, 35, announced that he would be fighting Chandler this summer in a video post on X, but it was not official until White’s announcement.

Conor McGregor of Ireland (L) attempts a kick against Dustin Poirier in the first round in their lightweight bout during UFC 264. Getty Images
In this handout image provided by the UFC, Michael Chandler poses on the scale during the UFC 257 weigh-in at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 22, 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The two coached against each another on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2023 and were expected to fight after the end of the reality show.

McGregor (22-6) hasn’t fought since UFC 264 in July 2021, when he broke his left leg in a fight against Dustin Poirier, who he lost to in back-to-back fights.

The former UFC champion has only one UFC win since 2016 and has only participated in four fights since then, excluding his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

Chandler (23-8) has also not seen the octagon for a while, having last fought in a submission loss to Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022.

McGregor has still been busy outside of the cage, including working with Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal in the remake of the 1989 movie “Road House.”

Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor at the “Road House” New York Premiere. Steven/AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Gyllenhaal later revealed on the “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” that McGregor accidentally punched him in the face while filming at 3 a.m. when McGregor “was talking to me really close.” 

“By mistake, he clocked me in the face,” Gyllenhaal explained. “We would do a take [of] fake fighting, and then we’d go watch the monitors to see it back, to see what worked.”

“And he was like, ‘Yeah, that left hook looks good, but then when you do it, boom!’ And he hit me by mistake,” he added.

Gyllenhaal also admitted he accidentally hit McGregor with a car door later on.