"Conor is not even licensed" - Chael Sonnen suggests opponent for Conor McGregor's potential UFC White House comeback fight

With the UFC White House event set for June next year, Chael Sonnen has suggested a potential opponent for Conor McGregor should the Irishman make his much-awaited MMA return on the card.

Dana White recently confirmed on the IMPAULSIVE podcast that 'The Notorious' is serious about wanting to fight in the historic event. Furthermore, during an appearance on Fox & Friends, McGregor himself proclaimed that he would be fighting Michael Chandler at the White House.

Speaking about McGregor's potential return on his YouTube channel, Sonnen argued that even if the MMA mega star were to return in June, he would be doing so in a non-title setting that would be low stakes for the UFC:

"Not only is it not going to be a title fight, it's not going to be a No. 1 contender fight. It's not going to be a fight that affects the rankings at all, and everybody is eligible. Conor used to be a world champion, so Conor can fight anybody, but Conor is not ranked. Conor is not even licensed."

Speculating on a potential opponent for McGregor, Sonnen suggested a former interim champion:

"So, if we bring him back, we could put him with somebody that isn't ranked, an older name, a name that you know. We can bring somebody in. Tony Ferguson would not be off the table. This doesn't affect anything in the future. This is a one-night-only event."

Chale Sonnen talks Conor McGregor's potential return on UFC White House (1:14):

Nevertheless, the roster for the White House is far from ready. White recently confirmed that he'd only start to build the card by February.

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Michael Chandler believes he'll fight Conor McGregor at the White House

Michael Chandler has a troubled history with Conor McGregor. After sitting out active competition for the better part of two years for a fight against 'The Notorious', he eventually moved on to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 after incessant delays prevented the matchup from happening.

'Iron', however, still appears to hold out hope for a fight against the Irishman. During a recent interview with Damon Martin of MMA Fighting, the former UFC lightweight title challenger said:

"I think we're definitely a lot closer today than we ever have been. I've heard the comments from [David] Feldman, his business partner... I do have inside sources of people close to him who have said the same exact sentiment, and obviously, withdrawing from the race of president of Ireland, gets his focus a little bit more back on training... In my heart of hearts, 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." [10:06 of the interview]