Conor McGregor, the man who once commanded the UFC spotlight with ease, now finds himself in a strange predicament! The Irishman’s return to the Octagon has been one of the major stories in the MMA sphere and a source of a lot of speculation by the fans. At first, it looked like UFC 303 would be the grand stage for his long-awaited comeback against Michael Chandler, but a broken pinky toe derailed that hype train.

When it looked like a date later in 2024 might be coming, UFC CEO Dana White shut that down too. Now, in a recent update, the UFC boss revealed that while Chandler has a new matchup there is still no concrete date for McGregor’s return except for “early 2025″. As such, the Irish MMA icon has been forced to seek assistance from an unexpected source!

Conor McGregor looks for help from outside the UFC for his next fight date  

According to a recent conversation shared by ‘Spinnin Backfist’, UFC boss Dana White proclaimed, “…Chandler said, ‘I’m done waiting. I want to fight.’” His next opponent and venue? Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in November. With Chandler finally returning to action for the first time since his UFC 281 loss to Dustin Poirier in 2022, where does that leave Conor McGregor?

At a recent BKFC post-fight press conference, the Irishman shared that, “You know, I got tested this evening. I got tested today by the Drug Free Sport agency. I’m the most tested athlete on the roster by more than twice the amount. I believe I’m tested maybe 13 times…”

For a man who finished Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds, it’s almost poetic that he’s been tested that many times. The problem? There’s no fight in sight. Even more curious is McGregor’s admission that he’s reached out for help from an unexpected source: Turki Alalshikh, a powerful figure in the world of sports and entertainment as he is the current Chairman of the Saudi Arabian GEA (General Entertainment Authority). The ‘Notorious’ confessed, “Yet, I struggle to get a date, so you know, I’ve talked to Sheikh Turki and said, ‘Sheikh Turki, can you assist me here?’ you know.”

With Chandler now locked in for a rematch against Oliveira in November, McGregor’s options seem to be narrowing. Yet, the Irishman remains optimistic. “Maybe we can still do it after…”, he speculated, suggesting that a fight with Chandler could still happen if the UFC pushes his return date to December, January, or even February.

In trademark McGregor fashion, he has also fired off a salvo on social media against Chandler for moving on from their matchup. But according to ‘Iron’, there’s more to the story behind why he chose to take on the Charles Oliveira re-match!

Chandler is done waiting for “unreliable” McGregor 

Michael Chandler is done with the Conor McGregor saga.  A rematch with none other than Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 is next for him. Fans might remember their first clash in 2021, where Oliveira snatched the vacant lightweight title by defeating Chandler in the second round.

In a recent video shared on his YouTube channel, he explained his decision by revealing, “Because I took a quick little detour to chase this thing. The opportunity of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ … I got more promo, more eyeballs, more of everything in the last year and a half than I would have gotten with three fights, and now I get the opportunity to take a title run.”

Chandler’s decision to move forward didn’t sit well with McGregor, who fired off a fiery tweet, but the former Bellator champion responded by stating, “The simple fact of the matter is, you are the most unreliable human being that has ever graced mixed martial arts.”

With Conor McGregor seeking assistance from Turki Alalshikh to get his next fight, and Chandler seemingly not interested in waiting for the Irishman any longer, ‘The Notorious’ appears to be stuck in limbo. Do you think the UFC will announce another matchup for Conor McGregor any time soon? Who do you think is a good matchup for him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!