Israel Adesanya believes Conor McGregor’s final UFC appearance should come against Michael Chandler, and says the long-discussed matchup is the only bout that makes sense next.
McGregor returned at UFC 329 for his first fight since July 2021, when he broke his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier. The comeback was cut short when he suffered a leg injury early in his main event against Max Holloway, with the fight ending after just 69 seconds. McGregor now has one fight remaining on his UFC contract.
“I did see [McGregor] when he was sitting down and he looked distraught,” Adesanya said, later adding, “I say, if he does decide to come back later on, Chandler would be the only fight that makes sense.”
Adesanya argued that McGregor has unfinished business with Chandler after their previously booked clash fell through. A McGregor vs. Chandler fight was scheduled to headline UFC 303 in June 2024 but McGregor withdrew due to a toe injury. The two also served as opposing coaches on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter with the expectation they would fight afterward, while Chandler went two years without a fight waiting for the matchup.
“He kind of owes Chandler that fight,” Adesanya said. “He honeyd*cked him for for, like, two, three years while Chandler was waiting for the big money fight. So now, afterThe Ultimate Fighter, after all those times, it would be good for them to kind of settle the score because they even have a little bit of—Not beef, but they’ve got some heat there. That would be the fight I think he should come back to.”
“Knowing a guy like Conor, from what we’ve seen, he wouldn’t want to go out like that [at UFC 329],” Adesanya added, calling Chandler “the only fight to make right now” for McGregor’s potential farewell.
