Morning Report: Conor McGregor says Michael Chandler fight ‘is rescheduled for the end of this calendar year’

Conor McGregor insists he’ll be back in action in 2024.

UFC 303 was supposed to be the highly anticipated “Notorious” return. Instead, it turned into a superbly phenomenal night for the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who successfully defended his title for the second time.

A pinky-toe injury forced McGregor from his stalled matchup against Michael Chandler during International Fight Week 2024. After a stint on The Ultimate Fighter 31 (TUF) last year, it felt like the bout may never actually happen. Then it was officially announced, hype was built, and then it was taken away just a few weeks out. Regardless, an injury of that nature isn’t — theoretically — severe enough to keep McGregor out for an extended period and he now claims the year’s end will be his window to shine.

“My comeback is scheduled for the end of the year,” McGregor told ESPN. “Sometime the end of this year, closing out the show. So, I was close to returning. We had an incident and a postponement had to happen, and you know, it is what it is. We take it on the chin, we rock on. The fight is rescheduled for the end of this calendar year. So, I’m excited about that and eager to get back.”

July 2021 marks the last time McGregor fought professionally when he lost his second consecutive bout to his rival Dustin Poirier. The Irishman infamously broke his leg in the process, which led to his first-round TKO defeat against “The Diamond” in their trilogy clash.

McGregor, 36, was in Spain for a BKFC press conference Thursday where he teased two more fights on his UFC deal and a possibility of stepping into the ring for gloveless combat. How realistic that is remains to be seen. However, because McGregor was in Spain, that led to him receiving questions about the featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.

Topuria has attracted negative reactions from his fellow European in recent months, but this time was given more of a chance by his dream opponent.

“Topuria, there’s a lot to see from Topuria,” McGregor said. “I understand he’s taking inspiration from my journey. He’s copied my tattoos and whatnot. He says this and that, the other, you know, but I don’t mind Topuria. I don’t mind him and we’ll see what happens down the line. Spanish people are backing him and that’s great to see. Who knows what the future holds.”

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Between the Links.

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin chats with Dan Hardy.

Paul-Perry Pre-Fight Presser.

UFC Connected: Aspinall, Pimblett, CLD.

Greatest UFC subs throughout the years.

PFL Epilogue.

Umar’s Training Camp.

Free fight.

Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you’re currently really into. I’ll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below — those are just harder to sift through sometimes!

Polish Power.

Technique.

A mighty moveset.

Response.

Things you love to see.

Ion Cutelaba (17-10-1) vs. Ivan Erslan (14-3, 1 NC); UFC Paris, Sept. 28

Artem Vakhitov (2-1) vs. Islem Masraf (3-0); Dana White’s Contender Series, Oct. 8

Niko Price (16-7, 2 NC) vs. Themba Gorimbo (13-4); UFC Fight Night, Oct. 12

Cody Garbrandt (14-6) vs. Miles Johns (15-2, 1 NC); UFC Fight Night, Oct. 12

Chidi Njokuani (23-10, 1 NC) vs. Jared Gooden (23-9); UFC Fight Night, Oct. 12

I’m still not sold it happens, but I do find it hilarious how confidently Conor speaks.

Happy Friday, gang. Enjoy the weekend and stay safe. Thanks for reading!

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.