Getty Image / Thomas King
Anything UFC fans have been hearing about Conor McGregor lately has had a whole lot more to do with what he has going on outside the cage than his UFC career.
It seems that could change soon.
Most of the recent news about Conor McGregor has centered around his withdrawal from the USADA testing pool, the changes he has made to his body since that withdrawal, and allegations about how those changes may be linked to the fact that he no longer has to deal with drug testing.
Taking himself out of the USADA testing pool means that McGregor will need to reenter it for 6 months before he will compete again, but it looks like the UFC has already decided who they would like for him to fight once he is eligible again.
Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto yesterday that Mcgregor’s next fight will likely come against Michael Chandler.
And @TheNotoriousMMA next fight is likely against @MikeChandlerMMA https://t.co/bJh9Oi3RGV
— Charlie Moynihan (@MoynihanCharles) December 9, 2022
This is an absolute nightmare matchup for McGregor to return to the UFC for. By the time he’s eligible to return, McGregor will have been away from the sport for nearly 2 years. The last couple of times we saw him, he already appeared to not be the same fighter that worked his way to a pair of titles.
Meanwhile, Michael Chandler has been engaging in classic battles against the top fighters in the division. Since May of last year, Chandler has fought for and nearly won the lightweight belt against Charles Oliveira, knocked out Tony Ferguson, and engaged in Fight of the Night performances against Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.
In his most recent fight against Poirier, he put his wrestling ability on display. Wrestling has long been viewed as the easiest path to get a win over McGregor and that likely hasn’t changed with his inactivity in recent years.
Throw in Chandler’s punching power and you have a really tough matchup for McGregor as he works his way back from a brutal injury.