Story byMike Bohn, MMA JunkieThu, January 15, 2026 at 5:47 PM UTC·1 min readDana White says a fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler is no longer in play. With almost universal expectation that, if McGregor did finally return to competition for the first time since July 2021 at the UFC White House event, his opponent would be Chandler, the UFC boss has now nixed that idea. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"No, that was a couple years ago," White told Complex when asked if Chandler was still the planned opponent for McGregor. "No."Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC), a former three-time Bellator champion, coached Season 31 of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series opposite McGregor in 2023. They were announced to finally fight at UFC 303 in July 2024, but McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) withdrew on less than three weeks' notice due to a broken toe. The matchup has not been rebooked since, but Chandler has remained hopeful and emphatically stated that he anticipates the call if McGregor commits to a comeback.