Dana White Discusses Potential Timeline for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler

The countdown to #TUF31 begins!!! ⏱

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— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) April 30, 2023

As Conor McGregor continues to delay his entry into the USADA drug testing pool, there has been some concern in recent weeks that his matchup with Michael Chandler won’t actually happen.

According to UFC president Dana White, a fight announcement will occur during the airing of “The Ultimate Fighter 31,” which features McGregor and Chandler as opposing coaches and premieres on May 30.

“That’s correct,” White said at the UFC Fight Night 223 post-fight press conference on Saturday night. “There’s a fight. He [McGregor] has to get into 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.”

USADA normally requires athletes to be in the drug-testing pool for six months upon re-entry, and it’s unclear if McGregor would be granted a special exception. However, it seems like the UFC is targeting McGregor vs. Chandler for the end of the year, which would likely mean adhering to normal USADA protocol. White hinted at blockbuster UFC fights in November and December, with one likely behing a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. The other would be McGregor’s first Octagon appearance since July 2021.

“That’s what we’re shooting for,” White said. “Hopefully we have a big fight in Madison Square Garden in November, and then a big fight in December.”