Conor McGregor might not make it into the UFC White House card. While we wish this were just a skit, a recent disappointing update from Dana White has ruled out the possibility of a Michael Chandler bout, leaving fans scratching their heads. For retired UFC icon Chael Sonnen, this has only one interpretation.

After a cursed episode that never let the McGregor vs Chandler bout materialize, the fight was a low-hanging fruit, which the promotion fed into to keep the buzz fresh. However, all of a sudden, Chandler is on the outside looking in at the White House conversations. And ‘The Notorious’ might very well share a similar fate.

Conor McGregor’s UFC White House dreams hang in uncertainty

UFC boss Dana White left the MMA community wide-eyed after he revealed that Michael Chandler was no longer the go-to opponent for the Irish striker’s return to the Octagon. While this doesn’t have to be the end-all be-all for McGregor, too, Chael Sonnen has a different argument, believing that Chandler made the most sense for the fight.

“The reason that Chandler worked is the weight class doesn’t matter. The ranking doesn’t matter. The fight really doesn’t matter. This is about drawing and selling tickets and Conor McGregor,” Sonnen told MMA Junkie, explaining what made the anticipated clash the perfect fight for a scene like the White House.

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It didn’t matter how many rounds the fight would last or whether it would be the main or co-main event of the night, purely because of the gravity both fighters’ names carry. McGregor remains one of the sport’s biggest global stars, and Chandler has proven himself as a tough, exciting competitor who can sell fights on name value alone.

Moreover, with a storied rivalry that never got a resolution, that fight alone was the biggest selling point for the entire night, as even Bo Nickal commented. This kind of power naturally made that bout a very nice commercial option for a marquee card like this.

That means only one thing, as Sonnen put it: “My larger interpretation was just that Conor was off the card. I know that’s not what was said, but why would it not be Chandler? Chandler does make a lot of sense.”

Indeed, while McGregor himself commands bone-chilling knockout moments, Chandler brings a similar energy with a strong chin and a wrestling spine, delivering just the fireworks fans would expect in a nostalgia matchup.

In a more optimistic interpretation, however, Sonnen has refused to close all doors for a comeback promise that has kept fans on the edge of their seats for years since McGregor’s last fight back in 2021. But that ray of hope comes with a spicy twist, as Sonnen suspects UFC will approach the fight with a much different mindset.

The fight would mean a real check out of UFC’s accounts to the ‘Notorious,’ and White would want to invest in a pursuit that has an exciting return for the promotion’s future. “It’s going to be about somebody that’s going to come in, grab that [and] can come back and do two or three more fights for the company. And that would disqualify Nate [Diaz] or [Jorge] Masvidal, in my opinion,” Sonnen suggested.

While this is a major step back from a fight that the promotion and the fighters were building up to over the past few months, Conor McGregor looks anything but retired, despite the unfortunate scene unfolding in the UFC.

Conor McGregor doubles up on UFC White House hype

Close calls and near opportunities barely terrify the ‘Notorious’. One closed door only means yet another unlocking in McGregor’s dictionary, who has only weighed in on his comeback narrative since Chandler left the discussions.

Taking to X, Conor McGregor responded to the dire Michael Chandler snub with his own enthusiastic outlook, as he wrote, “Pick who ya want! The Mac sweats nothin and nobody. I’m TASTY SHOTS.” Clearly, the Irish striker hasn’t set down his gloves yet.

This is the exact mindset that makes McGregor one of White’s favorite picks of all time. However, it’s important to note that the 37-year-old won’t be fighting the air inside the Octagon, making conversations over his potential challenger all the more crucial.

If the fight does happen in the 170 lbs division, the welterweight division is packed with real rising threats, including Leon Edwards and Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, these fights become increasingly difficult to market to the general audience seeking a nostalgic retreat.

Moreover, while his energy is unmatched, McGregor hasn’t been the most consistent fighter these past few years, with on-camp injuries sabotaging his last scheduled bout. Add to that recent video clips that suggest McGregor’s decreasing edge, and he doesn’t feel like the sharpest fighter to headline the White House.

With no opponent locked in and the UFC’s plans shifting by the day, Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return now feels less like a guarantee and more like a question mark hovering over the White House card. Do you still believe Conor McGregor makes it back to the Octagon this year, or is this another comeback that fades away?