Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler Likely Date Revealed by Teammate

Conor McGregor’s teammate, Peter Queally, has revealed the likely fight date for Michael Chandler after injury delayed the Irishman’s comeback.

Fans were left gutted after the promotion confirmed last week that the scheduled showdown between the two MMA fighters was officially off.

Instead, Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka have stepped in to save the day and will now serve as the UFC 303 main event – which is set to take place on the 29th of June.

McGregor recently posted his first statement since an injury he suffered during his training camp saw him withdraw from the clash with Chandler: “Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout. I picked up an injury prior to the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC, and my team.

“My fans and opponent deserve me at my best for this fight and we will get there! Thank you for the messages of support, I am in good spirits and confident I’ll be back!”

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani stated that McGregor will be pushing to return sometime in July, but an August / September fight date is more realistic.

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Peter Queally Reveals Potential Date For McGregor’s Return

Fans will not have to wait long at all

The Bellator is a long-time teammate of McGregor and knows the real reason behind the postponement of the bout – but refused to comment when speaking to talkSPORT.

When asked if he had any inside information on the injury that ruined McGregor’s sensational return to the cage, Queally said: “I do and I’ll keep it to myself.”

Despite the setback, Queally believes it’ll only be a matter of time before fans see the UFC star back in action. McGregor hasn’t fought since suffering a brutal leg injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021.

Queally has travelled far and wide to watch McGregor compete in the Octagon over the years and was disappointed that his friend’s return had been delayed.

He added: “I’m so disappointed. Obviously, I’m his friend. You didn’t want to see a guy experiencing anything bad who you are friends or close with.

“Just as a fan, I was looking forward to going out, enjoying the week in [Las] Vegas, going to the fight and taking in everything that is a Conor fight. There’s nothing like it on Earth. Anyone who hasn’t been to one, I’d save your pennies, go, and try to experience that.

“It’s pretty crazy. I’ve been lucky to have been at all of them. That’s what I was looking forward to and that’s what I’m most disappointed about. I just wanted to be involved again and experience that another time.”

The Bellator Star Believes McGregor Can Become a World Champion Again

McGregor hasn’t fought for a title since 2018

McGregor hasn’t won a fight since 2020 – when he obliterated Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone inside one round. His last title fight came back in 2018, losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 209.

Despite the Irishman’s inactivity, Queally believes that McGregor can become a world champion again. He insists that if Conor does return anywhere near his peak, he’ll make quick work of Chandler.

Queally concluded: “There’s no reason why he can’t get back to that level. If he can find that form again, this is an easy fight. If you had a time machine and you brought McGregor back to 2016 – at his peak – and he fought someone with Chandler’s skillset, this is a one-round demolition. If he can get that form back, I think we are going to see something special.”

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