Michael Chandler Reveals Why The Conor McGregor Fight Stalled: “It never has anything to do with me”
Michael Chandler says his long-awaited matchup with Conor McGregor not coming to fruition in 2026 has nothing to do with him.
Chandler and McGregor were rumored to fight each other on June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House, and both parties had confirmed the bout verbally. However, Dana White later revealed that he is no longer interested in making this fight happen.
‘Iron’ and ‘The Notorious’ served as opposing coaches on TUF 31 in 2023, and in 2024, they were booked to headline UFC 303. However, the Irishman had to pull out due to a toe injury.
In late 2025, with Conor McGregor returning to the pool, vowing to live in the gym and doing everything it takes to make a return, fans expected that he would finally end up locking horns with Chandler.
However, Dana White dashed the plan as mentioned before, but revealed that McGregor is in contention for a spot on the UFC White House Card.
Chandler still hopes to fight ‘The Notorious,’ but if not, he is willing to take on any opponent on June 14. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Chandler opined that he had nothing to do with the Conor McGregor bout being stalled:
“It never has anything to do with me, man. I’m the most reliable, most professional man in mixed martial arts, maybe in the history of mixed martial arts. So when I sign my name to a dotted line, I show up and do the work every single day… There’s still some hope there that maybe that fight happens. We shall see. But we’re having some conversations, and either way, I will be on the White House lawn on June 14th.”
Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below (8:06):
During the same sit-down, Michael Chandler added that he has his crosshairs on the BMF title and would be eager to face champion Max Holloway if ‘Blessed’ successfully defends the BMF strap against Charles Oliveira in their UFC 326 rematch.
UFC Lightweight says Conor McGregor does not want to fight someone on a losing skid
Mauricio Ruffy recently said that there have been discussions about him facing Conor McGregor on June 14. Ruffy alleges that McGregor has shown interest in locking horns with him, as the Irishman is seeking to make his UFC comeback against an exciting contender rather than someone who is on a losing skid. He said:
“Yes. He [Conor McGregor] made comments about me fighting him. He said that two strikers of that very high level would sell much more. It would be something closer to what he’s trying to bring in his comeback. Not to fight a guy who’s coming off several losses and all that. He wants to do a fight against a guy that’s going to drive the audience crazy. And I said ‘Wow.’ I agreed right away. I said ‘100%, count me in. Let’s go.'”
Check out Mauricio Ruffy’s comments below:
Michael Chandler holds a 2–5 record inside the octagon and has lost his last three fights. That being said, Ruffy’s comments indicate that Chandler’s UFC resume has been the real reason why ‘The Notorious’ no longer wants to fight ‘Iron’ in 2026.
