Michael Chandler just cannot get the Conor McGregor fight out of his mind. Even though the lightweight contender missed his chance to face the Irishman at UFC 303 in 2024, he continued to chase the former UFC two-weight champion for almost two years for a dream fight, eventually hoping to have it on the White House card. However, after waiting desperately and losing a few fights in the middle, the UFC decided to drop it altogether. Now, ‘The Notorious’ is set to return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in a welterweight bout, while Chandler prepares to face Mauricio Ruffy at 155 lbs on the UFC Freedom 250 card.

At the moment, most would consider a fight between Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor a distant fantasy. But the former Bellator champion is not one of them.

“It’s funny, man! Me vs. Conor, whether it was ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ in the lead-up, then the actual training camp, then the pullout of the fight and the possible rebooking–this whole thing has been an up-and-down soap opera for the better part of a couple of years,” Chandler told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. “As big as it was, as entrenched as I was into it, I just feel like I’m a million miles away now. I don’t really have any emotions about it, and maybe it’s because, obviously, I’m focused on Mauricio Ruffy at the White House.

“But man, I wish Conor well. The sport is a better place when Conor McGregor is training and on his way back. Max got the nod. We’ll get to see them compete here; it’s only five weeks away. I’ll be there cageside watching, very interested in how that fight goes. Whether me and Conor fight in the UFC or not, Conor and I will compete against each other at some point, in some venue, somewhere, somehow, some way. The story is there, the animosity is there, but also the mutual respect is already there.”

Though it appears that Chandler’s dream of facing McGregor in the UFC is all but over, he feels there is a slim chance they could still end up fighting each other.

“It’s got all the makings of a blockbuster,” he added. “So if it happens down the line, it happens down the line. But I wish him well, and it’s good to hear obviously. I know they wanted that fight. I wanted the fight. Obviously, the UFC had different plans, and the UFC has every right to make whatever fight they want to make. So, here we are.”

However, regardless of how he feels, the road to that matchup is undoubtedly complicated. 

According to prominent MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, Conor McGregor agreed to the terms of a new UFC deal under the promotion’s broadcasting partnership with Paramount+, but declined to extend his contract. In that case, McGregor currently has only two fights remaining.

After facing Max Holloway at UFC 329, then one more fight later, the Dublin native would become a free agent. If Michael Chandler’s contract expires around the same time, the two could potentially meet in another promotion.

McGregor’s BKFC co-founder, David Feldman, recently expressed confidence in an interview with Ariel Helwani that the former UFC champion could eventually compete in bare-knuckle boxing. If all the pieces fall into place, the two could possibly end up colliding in a bare-knuckle fight. Maybe that’s why Chandler is still hopeful for the matchup. However, that possibility remains far too distant to seriously consider right now. And at 40, time is not on his side either.

As a result, fans believe Chandler might be thinking way too far ahead, and they did not mince their words when calling out ‘Iron’ for being overly obsessed with securing a fight against Conor McGregor.

Fans urge Michael Chandler to move on from Conor McGregor fight  

One fan chimed in and wrote, “This is embarrassing.” Then another user commented, “Like bruh it’s just sad at this point. Move on. You already gave up 2 yrs of your prime fighting years sitting and waiting.” Keeping the same sentiment, another fan wrote, “Chandler still hoping for that red panties payday.” 

Michael Chandler definitely sacrificed two years trying to secure the Conor McGregor fight that never materialized. But the string of losses that followed the UFC 303 fight cancellation only lowered his chances of facing McGregor. His defeats against Charles Oliveira and Paddy Pimblett hurt his stock badly. And that’s probably why the promotion decided to go with Max Holloway, who is far more active and, altogether, a bigger star for McGregor’s return.

A fan wrote, “Never going to happen lol. Poor Michael Chandler 😔”. Following that, another user believed, “Idk why this feels like it has the makings of a BKFC fight😂.”

As mentioned above, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler meeting in BKFC could become a possibility. But the process is so complicated that it is very hard to seriously consider at this point. Now, as fans call out ‘Iron’ for still hoping to fight the Irishman, one fan believes Chandler could actually beat a washed McGregor returning to the Octagon after five years.

The fan wrote, “Let’s be real guys Connor wasted like 3/4 years of his career weather or not Micheal would’ve done anything we will never know 🤷‍♂️”.

Honestly, a fight between ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Iron’ at 170 lbs could have been a fascinating clash a few years ago. But too bad we won’t find out, at least for now, who wins that matchup. Michael Chandler’s patience and optimism are definitely commendable, but it is unlikely the UFC would entertain the matchup for now.