Khamzat Chimaev shifts attention to Conor McGregor after Irish UFC star drops sparring partner knockdown video

Khamzat Chimaev is open to sparring with Conor McGregor.

'The Notorious' has been inactive for nearly two and a half years and is gearing up for a return to the octagon.

The former double champ recently shared footage of himself training with the 2022 PFL featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane, where he dropped the Englishman. McGregor captioned the post, saying:

"Fight art, enjoy."

Check out Conor McGregor's training footage below:

Instagram account @freak.mma shared the footage, leading Khamzat Chimaev to respond with:

"If he need a real sparring let me know 😂"

Check out a screenshot of Chimaev's response below:

Khamzat Chimaev's response to Conor McGregor's training footage

Chimaev is currently awaiting surgery on his right hand, which he injured in his UFC 294 majority decision victory over Kamaru Usman. 'Borz' did recently share that he would like to make his return to the octagon at UFC 300.

The status of McGregor, on the other hand, remains unknown. While he has shared footage of himself training and noted that he is preparing for a return, nothing has been made official. He has teased an interest in facing several opponents, but it appears that Michael Chandler will be his opponent after the pair coached opposing sides on season 31 of 'The Ultimate Fighter'.

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What did Michael Chandler say about facing Conor McGregor?

2023 marked the first year that Michael Chandler did not compete in mixed martial arts since making his debut in 2009, as he spent much of the year in limbo waiting on Conor McGregor to re-enter the USADA testing pool. 'The Notorious' entered the pool in October, leading many to believe that he will return early next year.

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, 'Iron' stated that he has been hearing the bout will take place in the first quarter of 2024:

"From everything that I've been hearing, first quarter of 2024 is when the fight will be happening. He can't run forever... sometime in the first quarter of 2024, we're expecting it to happen so today was not the announcement of that fight, but expect an announcement coming soon hopefully."

Check out Michael Chandler's comments on Conor McGregor below (5:14):

While there have been rumors of McGregor opting for a different opponent, Chandler shared that he believes the two will clash upon the Irishman's return to the octagon. McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021.