The last time fans saw Conor McGregor inside the Octagon was at UFC 264—a night that ended in heartbreak as his leg snapped against Dustin Poirier, forcing a first-round doctor’s stoppage. But true to form, McGregor refused to fade into the shadows. He returned last year as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 31, squaring off with Michael Chandler. What began as competition quickly spiraled into a fiery rivalry, setting the stage for a blockbuster showdown.

That clash was scheduled for UFC 303, but fate intervened again—a broken toe sidelined McGregor and left fans hanging. Since then, the fight has lingered in limbo, a ‘what if’ in MMA lore. Now, the script might finally flip. With Dana White teasing a historic mega event on the White House lawn, McGregor and Chandler are both campaigning to headline. McGregor has even confirmed that Chandler will be the man!

Conor McGregor is confident that Michael Chandler is the one

Even though White has said he won’t finalize fights for the White House card until February, he revealed that he’s already been in contact with the Irish double champion—and that McGregor is very serious about headlining the event. While White stopped short of confirming his appearance, McGregor himself sounded far more certain. While appearing on Fox & Friends, the Irishman declared, “The Mac is excited to get back for sure. I’m on [the White House card].”

“[I’m fighting] Michael Chandler. Michael Chandler and myself have done the show The Ultimate Fighter, we’ve had a good back and forth. He’s a good, tough guy,” he added during the interview. Michael Chandler appears to share the same sentiment about the White House card, as he expressed his desire to fight on it. And it would preferably be against his previously canceled opponent, Conor McGregor, so they can finally settle the debate.

“I think we’re closer now than we ever have been,” Chandler told MMA Fighting about facing Conor McGregor. “I’ve always said if you’re a betting man, don’t put money on him necessarily coming back, but now this changes things a lot… I think I’m fighting Conor McGregor at the White House, and that sure does make a ton of sense for a multitude of reasons.” Regardless, McGregor’s confirmation about Chandler appears to have sparked a conversation among fans when a clip from the interview was shared on X by Championship Rounds. 

Fans refuse to believe it until it happens

With McGregor absent from the Octagon for nearly four years, many fans grew doubtful that the fight would ever materialize—despite claims from both fighters and the fact that McGregor still has two bouts left on his UFC contract. One user wasn’t sure the fight was real, but pleaded with McGregor. “Don’t DO this to me again, Conor,” the user wrote. The 37-year-old had to pull out of the same fight once, so doubts are obvious. 

Another user outright refused to believe that the fight would happen. “Not keeping my hopes up till they actually in the octagon,” the user commented. The fact that Conor McGregor was adamant about running for president in Ireland and pulled out from that as well didn’t do him any favors. But it also indicated that McGregor might be turning his focus to training. 

Meanwhile, this user advocated for Chandler. “Mike deserves the shot since you made him waste so much time waiting for yo a—,” the user commented. Since the canceled fight, Chandler has fought twice, losing both. 

The next user seemed skeptical about the fight for a different reason. “Imagine having 2 washed fighters as the main event for the White House card. It would be super disappointing tbh—both guys suck and are shells of who they used to be,” the user wrote. While Chandler is 2-5 in his UFC run, McGregor has lost 3 of his last 4 fights, not to mention the four-year gap. 

Someone else had similar reasons behind their doubt about the fight. “I don’t think you can have McGregor vs Chandler headlining this card. Conor hasn’t fought since 2021. Chandler has lost 5 of his last 6, and there’s no title on the line. I don’t know how Dana justifies this as a main event on such a huge card like this,” the user commented. But if White wants to make this fight, the previous performance wouldn’t matter. 

That said, fans don’t seem eager to get their hopes up about a Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler showdown. For some, the concern is McGregor himself—whether he’s truly ready to step back into the Octagon after such a long layoff. Others argue that the matchup simply doesn’t carry the star power it once did. But what do you think?