After weeks of wondering just when a fight will fall in the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler timeline, we have a big clue.
McGregor, a former lightweight and featherweight champion, and Chandler, a former Bellator lightweight champ, are coaching opposite each other on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which premieres next week and runs through mid-August. After the taped episodes have aired, the coaches traditionally fight.
But because McGregor has been out since July 2021 with a broken leg and left the drug testing pool operated by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, he needs to be back in and tested for six months. And heretofore, he hasn’t re-entered the pool.
Finally, though, McGregor and USADA have said McGregor will be back in the testing pool “immediately,” which means a fight with Chandler could happen before the end of the calendar year – and actually might line up perfectly for the UFC’s year-end pay-per-view.
