Jul 9, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor reacts during weigh ins for UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
MMA: UFC 264-Weigh Ins
LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor is returning to the octagon.
UFC president Dana White announced that after an absence of nearly three years McGregor will fight Michael Chandler on June 29 to headline UFC 303. The fight will take place during International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
McGregor, the biggest star in UFC history, has not fought since July 2021, when he broke his left leg in a fight with Dustin Poirier.
Per USA Today, the matchup will take place at welterweight, not middleweight as previously claimed. McGregor, 35, had announced he would be returning to fight Chandler during International Fight Week on June 29, and that it would be contested in the middleweight division, which ultimately proved false.
McGregor has just one UFC victory since 2016 and has fought only four times since then, not including a blockbuster boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has long been targeted as the return opponent for McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after the two fighters coached opposing teams on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2023. Chandler, 37, hasn’t competed since November 2022, where he suffered a Fight of the Year contender loss to Poirier at UFC 281.
UFC 303 will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
