It appears Michael Chandler has fallen out of favor with Dana White. Often hailed as the prime example of the ‘Dana White privilege,’ Chandler had his heart shattered in a million pieces when the UFC CEO, this past week, dismissed the idea of matching ‘Iron’ against Conor McGregor on the White House card in June—a fight for which Chandler had been waiting and preparing for almost two years now.

“No, that was a couple of years ago,” White said about the fight. Conor and Chandler were supposed to fight in 2024, but the Irishman broke his toe in training camp, leading to the fight’s cancellation. Since then, most had assumed that the fight would resume once McGregor returns. But with his statement, Dana White poured cold water on Chandler’s long-held dream. McGregor, of course, immediately got on board with the idea. “Pick who ya want!” McGregor wrote on X soon after. “The Mac sweats nothing and nobody. I’m TASTY SHOTS.” Since Dana White’s dismissal, there has been absolute silence from Michael Chandler’s side until now.

Why did Michael Chandler take shots at Masvidal?

Hours ago, the 39-year-old shared a cryptic message on X, breaking the silence. “How easy it is to get a headline these days: ‘I cannot confirm nor deny’ about ANYTHING,” he stated on X. “Yeah, I cannot confirm nor deny if I landed on the moon last week.” So, now the question is, what was Chandler referring to here? Well, we may have a clue.

A few days ago, after White’s statement, Jorge Masvidal had basically confirmed that negotiations between his camp and Conor McGregor are ongoing for a fight at the White House in June. Still, choosing to stay tight-lipped, the 41-year-old revealed he had started training for something big—an announcement for which would come soon. Claiming to be Donald Trump’s favorite fighter, Jorge Masvidal said he can’t yet confirm or deny what’s next.

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“I can’t deny or confirm any of that right now, but maybe hopefully soon, I can,” Masvidal said, which Chandler was likely referring to in his tweet. “… Like maybe 10 days, something like that, I should have more confirmation on it.” Still, as of the time of writing, a fight between Conor McGregor and Masvidal hasn’t been confirmed.

McGregor, of course, hasn’t fought since he broke his leg in a fight against Dustin Poirier. However, he is ready for action on June 14. Meanwhile, Masvidal effectively retired back in 2023 after his loss to Gilbert Burns. Only time will tell whether this fight actually happens or not. 

But what do the experts say about this matchup?

Michael Bisping reacts to Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal rumors

Michael Bisping has weighed in on the growing buzz around a potential Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal fight, calling it a logical and exciting comeback fight for the Irishman. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former UFC champion suggested the matchup could even headline the UFC’s White House card.

“It looks like we might be getting Conor McGregor vs. the one and only, Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal, at the White House – potentially,” Bisping said. “If you ask me, that actually makes a lot of sense.” With the UFC reportedly moving on from McGregor’s long-planned bout with Michael Chandler, Bisping believes Masvidal is a far better option.

He noted that McGregor remains the promotion’s biggest draw and that the UFC would want a favorable return fight for him. “Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal makes all the sense in the world,” Bisping added, calling it a “sensational matchup” that would deliver entertainment and star power on a massive stage.

So, it appears the fighters are onboard, the experts have approved—all that is left is for the confirmation. Dana White has said he will start working on the card after January 24th, so an announcement shouldn’t be far away.