“I P—SS EXCELLENCE.” That’s what Conor McGregor declared on Instagram, proudly showing he was back in the UFC drug-testing pool. For MMA fans, it wasn’t just another flashy post! This felt like reassurance that “Mac is back” after nearly four years away from the sport. Soon after, his name also appeared in the UFC testing database, though it still wasn’t enough to silence the doubters. However, ‘The Notorious’ wasn’t done proving his point. He dropped another crucial update that sent fans buzzing louder than ever.

McGregor took to his Instagram Story and wrote, “Another day. Another @ufc tester aboard my yacht! #CleanSport,” showing yet another drug test completed without controversy. With that, Dana White’s dream of seeing his biggest star one day step into the White House spotlight feels closer than ever. But as anticipation builds from every corner, his longtime rival, Michael Chandler, wasn’t about to stay silent. The former Bellator champ quickly slid in with a subtle jab at his potential future opponent!

Michael Chandler isn’t impressed

‘Iron’ wrote on Threads, “Never forget….” Well, it was indeed a very short and crisp jab by Chandler, but he might have landed it straight on the face! The lightweight contender might have taken a dig at McGregor pulling out at the last minute of UFC 303 because of his toe injury, which threw the entire event into jeopardy—only to be saved by Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Procházka’s rematch.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume Chandler is actually telling fans not to make a huge deal about McGregor entering the drug-testing pool. Who knows? He might again spoil the fun at the UFC White House event. But wait! There could also be another meaning here. Not too long ago, industry experts like Michael Bisping have pointed out that Nate Diaz is still an exciting option for ‘The Notorious One.’ So, the Missouri native might also be reminding everyone that nobody is taking his place.

That’s pretty much it for the interpretations around Chandler’s cryptic post. But one thing can be said with certainty—with Conor McGregor’s potential return on the table, the hype around the UFC is starting to build once again. Everyone wants to see ‘The Notorious’ make that walk inside the Octagon, and even the UFC head honcho hasn’t been able to hide his excitement.

Dana White reacts to Conor McGregor preparing for his return

Conor McGregor has been regularly sharing pictures and videos of himself training, sometimes shadowboxing, hitting the bag, or working with a room full of martial artists. These clips have been making the rounds and, naturally, they’ve only fueled the growing hype around his return. So, when Dana White was asked about it in a recent interview, the UFC CEO  had nothing but green lights to give. 

“If you see, he’s been posting videos of himself training; he’s back in the pool now. He wants the White House fight. Listen, if he starts getting in shape and training and stays the course, that’s the fight he wants. He keeps telling me he wants that fight. We’ll see how it plays out over the next several months,” Dana White said on the Pardon My Take Podcast.

We’ve all been waiting to see a motivated Conor McGregor again! And it’s nothing but good news. For the UFC, and for the fans, that ‘The Notorious One’ is finally making changes and taking the necessary steps to get back inside the Octagon. Plus, the UFC White House card is almost a year away, giving him plenty of time to train and get in shape before facing his next opponent.

With that said, do you think Michael Chandler will be his next opponent, or will it be someone else when he returns? Let us know in the comments below!