Dana White blames Conor McGregor's "obligations" for delay in Michael Chandler fight announcement

Following months of speculation, Conor McGregor's return to the octagon was officially announced by the promotion's CEO, Dana White.

The Irishman will be taking on Michael Chandler in his much-anticipated comeback fight at UFC 303. But the lengthy delays to the announcement did cause rumors that 'Iron' would not be facing McGregor upon his return.

It was assumed that the pair would clash in the octagon following the conclusion of season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, which aired from May 30 to Aug. 15, 2023. However, the fight failed to materialize last year.

Following the conclusion of UFC 300, White appeared in front of the media where he officially announced McGregor vs. Chandler. White also explained the delay behind McGregor's return, pointing to the media obligations surrounding the Road House movie, which premiered on March 8.

White said:

"It's not that we've been working on it for ages. There's all kinds of things that go on behind the scenes. It's all about timing, Chandler's been ready but Conor hasn't been ready. We talked about this at one of the press conferences recently, he had a lot of obligations that he had to deal with. What you don't want him doing is accepting a fight when he's got a ton of obligations and he can't train 100% for a fight."

Watch White discuss Conor McGregor's delayed return below:

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When did Conor McGregor last fight?

Conor McGregor will officially headline UFC 303 alongside Michael Chandler in a much anticipated and awaited clash on June 29.

It will be the first time that the Irishman sets foot inside the hallowed octagon since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 264.

Interestingly, Chandler's previous fight also came in the shape of a defeat at the hands of Poirier. 'The Diamond' submitted 'Iron' for the first time in his career when the pair clashed at UFC 281 in November 2022.

'The Notorious' has made a full recovery from his brutal leg injury and has boasted about his plans to use his new "titanium shin bone" to cause his opponents severe damage.