Conor McGregor will make his MMA comeback at UFC 303. McGregor, who hasn’t fought in the promotion for nearly three years, will take on Michael Chandler in Las Vegas on June 29.
UFC chief Dana White confirmed McGregor’s comeback after UFC 300 on Saturday night. “June 29 – Conor vs Chandler,” said White in his post-event press conference. “Five rounds, 170 pounds.”
McGregor, 35, is arguably the UFC’s biggest ever star after a glittering career in the promotion. He made his UFC debut in 2013 and quickly became a fan favourite, winning the featherweight title by defeating Chad Mendes at UFC 189.
The Irishman was regarded as a huge pay-per-view draw during the height of his UFC career thanks to his trash talking and devastating knockouts. He enjoyed famous wins against Dustin Poirier, Jose Aldo and Nate Diaz, while his defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in 2018 achieved a record 2.4 million PPV buys.
McGregor also stepped into the boxing ring to fight the great Floyd Mayweather in August 2017. Mayweather, who retired from professional boxing after the bout with a 50-0 record, stopped the UFC star in the 10th round.
McGregor lost his rematch with Poirier at UFC 257 in January 2021 before suffering another defeat to the same opponent six months later at UFC 264. He suffered a broken leg in the latter fight, which triggered the start of his hiatus.
The veteran’s return to the Octagon has been teased since he coached The Ultimate Fighter 31 against Chandler. The 37-year-old American has lost three of his last four fights, with his most recent appearance coming at UFC 281 in November 2022.
McGregor was recently asked whether he would retire altogether during an appearance on the ‘This Life of Mine with James Corden’ podcast. Corden asked the fighter: “Has there ever been a moment after a fight ever that either your mother or dear said to you, ‘Sweetheart, we’ve got enough. we don’t need anymore’.”
McGregor replied: “No. I’m barely touched. I only got clipped once and then the leg broke, that’s it. I’ve put more people to sleep than anesthesia, than surgical procedure. So as far as freshness, I’m as fresh as it gets in this business.
“So there has not been an iota from my family. Not yet, not if I get a nice roll going which I’m hoping for and I get a nice four fights in a year and then eight fights again the next year.”
McGregor has two fights remaining on his UFC contract and it’s unclear whether he will sign a new deal after facing Chandler.
