UFC boss Dana White has confirmed Conor McGregor's fight against Michael Chandler will take place in either November or December.
McGregor, 34, returns to the octagon for the first time in over two years when he faces Chandler after recently coaching against his UFC rival on The Ultimate Fighter. No date or venue has yet been announced for the fight but McGregor recently told Mirror Fighting that an announcement will be made during one of The Ultimate Fighter episodes, with the series airing at the end of this month.
White has confirmed McGregor must complete six months of drug-testing before being eligible to face Chandler. According to the promotion's calendar for the rest of the year, there are only two pay-per-view events that could host McGregor's return. UFC 295, which will take place at Madison Square Garden in November, and UFC 296, which will likely take place in Las Vegas in December.
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White told reporters: “[McGregor] has to get in the USADA pool first. He’s filling out the paperwork. I don’t know how soon that will be done or what’s going on, but that’s his business that he’s handling with USADA but it’s all in motion." When asked if the fight will take place this year, White responded: “Yeah, that’s what we’re shooting for. Hopefully, we have a big fight at Madison Square Garden in November and then a big fight in December.”
UFC 295 is set to take place on November 11 as it will mark the 30th anniversary of the organisation. McGregor's six months of mandatory testing will rule him out of fighting at this event unless he receives an exemption from USADA, something the anti-doping agency has previously ruled out.
A more likely date for McGregor's fight against Chandler is UFC 296 which, judging by pay-per-view events in recent years, will take place on December 9. Chandler has previously mentioned that he wants the fight to take place in Las Vegas having never fought in the city before during his UFC stint. Other venues such as the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas have also been discussed for the fight.
McGregor was recently quizzed by Mirror Fighting about his return to the drug-testing pool and the Irishman echoed White's words about fighting at the end of the year. "That's done, my man," McGregor said when asked if June 1 is the date for his USADA return. "That's done. Year end, I'm back in that cage having competed. I'm gearing up ready to go."
