[ad_1]
-
Marc Raimondi, ESPN writer
Conor McGregor could return to the octagon relatively soon after his film debut.
The former double UFC champion and the biggest star in the history of the sport told ESPN on Tuesday that he will fight again this summer against Michael Chandler. The exact date and event are not yet known.
“A few days ago we got confirmation that it’s all systems go,” said McGregor, who is promoting his first acting role in the movie “Road House,” which premieres March 21 on Amazon Prime. “And ‘The Mac,’ ‘The Notorious’ will return to the UFC octagon this summer.”
The UFC has not yet officially announced McGregor’s return. McGregor vs. Chandler has been the plan for a long time, dating back to last year when they trained opposite each other on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. McGregor previously said the fight would take place on June 29 at UFC 303.
Chandler has been frequently criticizing McGregor publicly, including on an episode of WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” last month. UFC and WWE are sister companies under the publicly traded banner of TKO Group, owned by Hollywood media agency Endeavor.
“Shut up, Michael, you fucking moron,” McGregor said. “The man does not shut up. I saw it on ‘Raw’. I like Mike. I’m going to bust it. I’m going to bust Mike, aren’t I? If I say it, I do it… If I say it, it is done. Put that on my stone.”
McGregor originally said in January that the fight would be at 185 pounds. He has fought most of his career at 145, 155 and 170 pounds. McGregor said Tuesday that he was having a little fun with Chandler regarding the weight and that he’s not sure what weight class the fight will ultimately take place.
Still, McGregor said he’s happy there’s something he can start training for again, seriously.
“I had my (training) camp in Dubai (months ago), I had a camp in Cannes,” McGregor said. “I was preparing, and then I wasn’t getting anything in return. And then other things came up and I kind of went under. But now, everything is going. So there are no problems now. I can’t back out now.”
McGregor, 35, has not fought since breaking his left leg in a fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He is currently in New York promoting “Road House,” but said he plans to ride his bike in Central Park as cardiovascular exercise and that He has already worked there with his boxing coach, Phil Sutcliffe.
McGregor (22-6) was the UFC’s first simultaneous double champion, holding the lightweight and featherweight titles in 2016. The Irish native has been the headliner on some of the biggest pay-per-views in combat sports history, including a 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. When he returns, McGregor will be seeking just his second MMA victory in the last eight years.
Regarding his future beyond the next fight, McGregor said he has two fights left on his UFC contract. He would love to fight Chandler and then his old rival Nate Diaz on the UFC’s Mexican Independence Day card in September, which is planned as the first combat sports event at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
“I think it’s an absolutely perfect fight,” McGregor said of Diaz at the Sphere.
If those fights come to fruition, McGregor said he is unsure of the circumstances that could unfold.
“Shall we sign a new agreement?” McGregor said about UFC. “Should I go? Am I a free agent? I love the UFC so much. My heart is in the UFC: my catalog, my life. I love everyone in the company and all the fighters and all the events and all the shows and cards. I wish continue with this. What that looks like, I have no idea.”
McGregor said he’s not sure what’s coming after that, but he hopes there will be “more fights,” as well as movies, as a lead. McGregor plays a villain in “Road House,” alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. He said that he likes the idea of playing multiple types of roles in different movies, like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone.
“I certainly feel like a lot of great movies could revolve around me, and one-off movies,” McGregor said. “There’s the Stallone movies, there’s the Schwarzenegger movies. There really, really could be McGregor movies and there could be a wide range of movies, and that would really light up the game.”