UFC president Dana White announced that after an absence of nearly three years Conor McGregor will fight Michael Chandler on June 29 to headline UFC 303, taking place during International Fight Week in Las Vegas. McGregor has not been in action since breaking his leg in July 2021 in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
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.
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, and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN.
Editorial credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.com