McGregor vs. Chandler date: Which UFC event are Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler likely to face each other at for the December showdown?

Conor McGregor’s potential UFC return finally seems to be turning into reality. The Irishman had been on the sidelines since suffering back-to-back T/KO losses against Dustin Poirier in 2021.

At one point, the unfortunate leg break suffered in the Poirier fight threatened to end his career. But McGregor persevered through and made a full recovery. He is looking to make a comeback against Michael Chandler in December 2023. But which event could accommodate this banger of a fight?

Conor McGregor appeared as the coach in Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter reality show opposite former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler. TUF usually serves as the fertile ground for rivalry between head coaches to brew and get stronger. This inevitably creates a lot of hype around their fight after the season’s conclusion.

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler were headed in the same direction during TUF 31. But to Chandler’s disappointment, McGregor has been exploring other options as seen from his social media posts and statements. Additionally, McGregor’s situation with the United States Anti-Doping Agency [USADA] rules seemed to be postponing his return to 2024.

But the former two-division UFC champion recently made a revelation that he will be fighting Michael Chandler at UFC 296 in December 2023. However, it's not clear if the 35-year-old will be allowed to compete without enrolling in the testing pool six months in advance.

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Conor McGregor will most likely return at UFC 296

Michael Chandler’s recent social media activity suggests that the fight between him and Conor McGregor is already in the works and might be announced soon. McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view star and the most famous mixed martial artist in the sport’s history.

If he indeed returns in 2023, his comeback fight will likely headline the UFC 296 PPV event that will take place on Dec. 16, 2023, in Las Vegas, NV. UFC 296 is the final PPV event of the year and does not have a main event fight announced yet. As a result, McGregor vs Chandler will bring a perfect ending to a successful year from a commercial point of view.

UFC’s November PPV event takes place at the Madison Square Garden in New York and is one of the biggest and most stacked cards of the year as well. While a stage like that would justify McGregor’s return, Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic is set to headline the UFC 295 PPV event in November this year. The UFC would not make the rookie mistake of putting its biggest stars on the same card and bringing the profits down.

Conor McGregor is looking at a three-fight plan to make a successful run in the UFC again. But he can follow it through only if the first step, the Chandler fight, comes to fruition.