Michael Chandler gets 100% real on potential Conor McGregor showdown, believes "we’re closer now than we ever have been"

Michael Chandler is optimistic that his fight against Conor McGregor could take place in the near future. The two were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 303, but McGregor had to withdraw due to a toe injury, and the fight was never rescheduled.

A few months ago, President Donald Trump expressed his intention to host a UFC event on the White House lawn as part of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebration in 2026. McGregor has shown interest in coming out of retirement to face Chandler at this event.

In a recent interview with Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, Chandler explained that an event of such magnitude needs fights that will actually happen, presumably implying that last-minute cancellations and rescheduling can be much more costly than regular events.

He elaborated on why it makes sense for him to fight on the proposed White House card:

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

"When you're building a card of this magnitude, it's not necessarily about putting on the best fight, it is about putting on the best fights that are reliable. Which fights, which matchups and which mqrquee contests are going to happen on the White House lawn that have utmost certainty of actually happening? In this crazy sport, there are no guarantees, but I am about as sure as a guarantee as you possibly could be."

He added:

"If I can physically make it to the octagon, I'm showing up and I'm putting on a show for the fans. I think we're closer now than we have been, and I've always said if you're a betting man, don't put money on him necessarily coming back. But now this changes things a lot. In my hearts of heart. I think I'm fighting Conor McGregor, at the White House. And I'm sure has hell this makes a ton of sense for multitude of reasons."

Check out Michael Chandler's comments below (1:02):

---

Michael Chandler on why Conor McGregor is the ideal opponent for him

Although Conor McGregor has not competed professionally for over four years, he remains one of the most prominent MMA fighters in the world. Many people have suggested his name as a suitable candidate for a rumored mega UFC event at the White House.

In the aforementioned interview with Damon Martin, Michael Chandler also discussed why McGregor is the ideal opponent for him at the rumored White House event:

"We have some unfinished business, not really animosity. I got respect for him; he got respect for me. But we do have unfinished business. He has expressed interest whe he put out that meme of me and him, and said we have unfinished business, and we do. We have unfinished business. We would be the only fighters not to fight after The Ultimate Fighter who were in the same weight class." [0:20]

UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the deal has been finalized for the UFC White House event, and recent reports have also revealed the venue for official weigh-ins.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Rajneesh Suhas Reddy