Conor McGregor to make UFC return against Michael Chandler

Conor McGregor of Ireland walks in the octagon before his lightweight bought against :Dustin Poirier during UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP)

Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will compete against lightweight Michael Chandler as coaches in the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter” — then square off against him in McGregor’s return to the promotion.

UFC president Dana White said in a video posted to social media on Saturday that the date and place of the bout would be announced later. The McGregor-Chandler fight will be a pay-per-view event on ESPN+, he said.

“The Ultimate Fighter,” heading into its 31st season, will begin May 30 and end Aug. 15. This is McGregor’s second turn as coach of TUF, previously taking a turn in 2015.

McGregor, a former lightweight and featherweight champion, has a 22-6 career record. He last fought July 10, 2021, in a rematch against Dustin Poirier and broke his left leg.

The 34-year-old has won just one of his past four bouts, beating Donald Cerrone in a first-round knockout on Jan. 18, 2020.

He lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission on Oct. 6, 2018, and to Poirier on Jan. 23, 2021.

Chandler (23-8) won three Bellator lightweight championships before moving to UFC in 2021. Chandler, 36, has won just two of his five UFC fights.

He lost to Poirier in November 2022, to Justin Gaethje the prior November and to Charles Oliveira in May 2021. He defeated Tony Ferguson in May 2022 and Dan Hooker in his UFC debut in January 2021.

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