The long-anticipated UFC return of Conor McGregor is finally happening with the MMA superstar's bout with Michael Chandler finally announced as the main event for UFC 303.
RETURN OF THE MAC 🍀
— Covers (@Covers) April 14, 2024
Conor McGregor will return to the octagon to fight Michael Chandler at 170 pounds on June 29th at UFC 303 🔥 pic.twitter.com/baCMQGpuDT
UFC odds for a McGregor vs. Chandler matchup were released early last year after they were set to coach against each other on "The Ultimate Fighter" but that fight never materialized. With the June 29 date finalized, fight fans will be eager to bet on or against McGregor, who remains one of the biggest draws in the sport despite nearly a three year absence.
McGregor vs Chandler odds
Odds as of April 14, 2024.
Odds for this fight opened as a pick'em, which isn't surprising when you consider that both fighters have lost three of their last four bouts and that McGregor hasn't entered the octagon since he broke his leg in July 2021. Money has slowly come in on McGregor, making him a slight favorite in the -120 to -128 range, but expect far more bets to come in with the date finalized.
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McGregor vs Chandler tale of the tape
| Conor McGregor | Michael Chandler | |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Age | 37 |
| 5-foot-9 | Height | 5-foot-8 |
| 155 lbs | Weight | 155 lbs |
| 74 inches | Reach | 71 inches |
| 22-6-0 | Record | 23-8-0 |
McGregor was, at one time, a two-division champ and the most entertaining MMA fighter on the planet. However, interests outside the octagon and recent injuries have sidelined his career.
Notorious has just one win over the last six years, when he knocked out a washed-up Donald Cerrone in 2020. Since then, he's dropped back-to-back fights against Dustin Poirier, getting finished by punches in January 2021 before breaking his tibia in the grudge match against Poirier later that year.
McGregor claimed the UFC didn't let him fight in December at UFC 296 and there were likely complications since he needed to re-enter the USADA drug-testing pool for at least six months prior to any fight. The UFC parted ways with the anti-doping agency at the end of the calendar year.
While many fans became convinced that McGregor would never fight again, he took to social media on New Year's Eve to say he would fight Chandler on June 29 — a date that's been finalized. He also said that the fight would take place at 185 pounds — though the fight has been announced at 170 pounds.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023
While there's certainly a possibility that he was trolling since he followed up on that statement with a maniacal laugh, Chandler has stated he doesn't care what weight they fight at. "In his mind, he can't fight at 170 [pounds], because I called him out at 170," Chandler said. "He had to say 185...He always wants to establish dominance."
While psychological warfare has always been part of McGregor's arsenal, fighting at middleweight wouldn't have bothered Chandler, who walks around in the 185-190 pound range. Chandler was a three-time lightweight champ at Bellator, and while he's 2-3 in the UFC, he always puts on a show.
He starched Dan Hooker in the first round in his promotional debut and while he was finished by Charles Oliveira when they fought for the vacant belt in 2021, he managed to wobble "Do Bronx" in the opening round.
He followed up on that with a back-and-forth battle against Justin Gaethje and then sent Tony Ferguson to the Shadow Realm with one of the nastiest front kicks in history. He lost by submission to Poirier in his most recent bout in November of 2022, but it was a highly competitive match that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus.
Chandler has said he expects to send McGregor into retirement after this fight and he wants revenge for making him wait.
