Even while he was out injured, Conor McGregor was the coveted fight for many of his colleagues in the UFC. The Irishman still commands a lot of star power in the promotion, irrespective of his recent poor form. Ever since beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, McGregor has only won once in the UFC. He has only fought three times since the Khabib Nurmagomedov fight in 2018 and lost two of them. While he tried to resume being active in the UFC in 2021, a horrific leg injury put him out of action for more than a year. Now, as talks of his return are gathering traction, UFC President Dana White was asked to name three potential opponents for McGregor’s return fight. However, White only had one name he found most probable.

Dana White recently sat down with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto for a year-end review of the UFC. During the conversation, he recapped 2022 and envisioned the plans for 2023. He also talked about some high-profile fights for the next year, including that of the returning Conor McGregor.

Dana White named the potential opponents for Conor McGregor in 2023

Okamoto asked Dana White if he had gotten some reprieve from facing relentless Conor McGregor-related questions over the last few months. White responded by saying McGregor is a “fun”, and “popular” fighter and that fans love the energy that he brings.

He explained he did not chase any fighters, including McGregor, for fights. The 53-year-old added that he left McGregor alone to do his thing.

“When Conor gets the itch and if and when he’s ready to come back, he’ll let us know,” said White.

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Okamoto then asked White about the three most likely opponents for Conor McGregor’s return to action.

White replied, “It’s hard to say because it’s gonna depend on when he comes back but, I mean, this is a no-brainer. A fun fight is him and [Michael] Chandler.” 

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The UFC president pointed out how people were already talking about a potential fight between McGregor and Chandler. He mentioned how Michael Chandler called out McGregor multiple times and people welcomed it on social media as well.

Michael Chandler made his case for a potential McGregor fight after UFC 281

Ever since his debut in 2021, Michael Chandler is 2-3 in the UFC over five fights. Despite the losses, Chandler has established himself as one of the most exciting active fighters in the UFC. Following his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281, Chandler called out McGregor and listed his reasons this fight was the logical choice.

“I do think that’s the fight to make,” Chandler said. “If he does want to come back, who in the heck else do you want to be standing on the other side of the octagon than me, right now, at this juncture?”

Chandler reiterated how his fights and fighting style attracted fans. He added he was going to take some time off to heal and cater to his family.

“Iron” Mike also mentioned he was in no way an easy fight for McGregor- “…there’s some easier fights than me. But is there a bigger fight than me? I don’t think so. I really don’t.”

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Do you want to see Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler? Who do you think wins it? Let us know in the comments below.