Conor McGregor, the former UFC champion, has moved on from any plans to face Michael Chandler. After appearing together on The Ultimate Fighter in 2023, McGregor was set to fight Chandler at UFC 303. However, McGregor withdrew from the match due to a broken pinky toe. The fight never got rescheduled, seemingly ending their rivalry.
The situation changed when Chandler faced Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 in March 2025 and suffered a significant defeat. This led McGregor to claim he has “unfinished business” with Chandler. Despite this declaration, Chael Sonnen, a notable figure in combat sports commentary, pointed out that there is no real rivalry left between the two fighters. In a recent YouTube discussion, Sonnen explained that McGregor had his opportunity to fight Chandler but did not follow through.
Sonnen stated, “You and Chandler don’t have any business. You did a series of The Ultimate Fighter that had ratings so bad, they had to bring in Daniel Cormier and me to try and revive the whole story.” He emphasized that McGregor's acknowledgment of unfinished business feels misplaced, especially after opting out of their scheduled fight.
Even though the chance for a showdown with Chandler may have passed, McGregor still has a variety of exciting options for his return to the UFC. One potential opponent is Paddy Pimblett, who recently dominated Chandler in their bout.
Fans eagerly await McGregor's next move in the octagon, but it appears his focus might need to shift from past feuds to new challenges ahead.
