The likelihood of a Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler bout gets slimmer and slimmer by the day.
Michael Chandler has lived within the long game waiting for Conor McGregor for so long that even bad news barely registers as conclusive anymore. Not even a flat-out dismissal from UFC CEO Dana White has extinguished Chandler's hopes for his long-awaited dream fight at the UFC's White House event.
When White recently poured cold water on the idea of rebooking Chandler vs. McGregor for UFC's much-anticipated June show in the U.S. capital, it marked the latest twist in a saga that has stretched well beyond its original expiration date. For Chandler — who coached opposite McGregor on "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2023 and was penciled in for a June 2024 showdown against the Irishman that never materialized — the comments weren’t exactly comforting. Appearing on Wednesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Chandler gave his first reaction.
“We'll see how this whole thing plays out," Chandler told Uncrowned. "Obviously nobody has any idea what fights are going to be on the White House card.
"Obviously, it’s not encouraging. It’s not great to hear. But I’ve also heard many things that were not encouraging that turned out to be not true or just flat-out false. So, we just keep on going, man."
Chandler, 39, has learned to exist inside uncertainty. Years of promotional limbo, shifting narratives and missed timelines have hardened him to the noise around a McGregor bout. Whether White’s comments reflect a fleeting mood for the UFC boss or a firm decision is something Chandler isn’t pretending to know.
"Whether that’s what [White] is feeling that day or what’s 100% going to happen, I don’t know," Chandler said. "All I know is you can control the controllables in life, and just as I have been, sitting in patience, not reacting to things, responding in due time.”
Chandler has done his best to move on and push forward since the original McGregor fight fell apart in 2024. He's fought twice since then, suffering back-to-back losses to Charles Oliveira and Paddy Pimblett.
Despite external fatigue surrounding the matchup, Chandler still believes McGregor genuinely wants the fight and feels that unfinished business from their abandoned "TUF" pairing remains unresolved.
"When it comes to Conor's love for the sport, he's more of a man of his word than people think he is," Chandler said. "Yes, he's flown off the handle a couple times. He's done a couple things here and there that make people question his decision-making, but I think he's a man of his word. I think he wants to fight me to end 'The Ultimate Fighter' contract we had, to make good on the promise we made for June 29 of 2024, International Fight Week.
"It's a fight that just makes so much sense. It's an explosive fight, and it's an exciting fight. ... I think I'm his top choice. He's my top choice. ... Neither of us are in as much control as we wish we were. We'll see how it plays out after this weekend [at UFC 324]."
From Chandler’s perspective, the business logic hasn’t changed. The matchup still sells. The narrative still resonates. The action still promises to be must-watch. What’s changed is time and how much patience the sport is willing to extend.
For now, Chandler remains locked into the White House goal as if it’s still very much alive. There is no pivot, he said, no secondary target, no quiet contingency plan tucked away behind the scenes.
"I don't have a Plan B until Plan A is 100% exhausted," Chandler said. "That's kind of where we're at right now. I'm formulating my blocks and my training and my diet and all that stuff leading up to June right now. That's the plan — fighting at the White House, fighting Conor at the White House.
"Until that train gets completely derailed — and the only way it's going to get derailed is him getting announced against somebody else at the White House or me getting announced against somebody at the White House. So, we'll see."
At the same time, Chandler acknowledged that the window to fight before then has likely passed, further funneling everything into a single outcome for him this year rather than a flexible timeline.
Whether the bout ultimately becomes reality remains to be seen. Chandler has ridden this wave long enough to know certainty rarely arrives cleanly in fight promotion — especially when McGregor is involved.
Category: General Sports
