Expect a lot of this in the coming months.
michael chandler shot himself Conor McGregor on Saturday after McGregor cornered Irish teammate Sinead Kavanagh in her submission loss to Arlene Blencowe at the Bellator Champions Series event in Dublin.
McGregor was due to headline UFC 303 this Saturday against Chandler in his first fight in more than three years, and the two were due to take the stage for a ticketed press conference in Dublin on June 3. and soon after it was revealed that McGregor pulled out of the fight with a toe injury.
As the canceled press conference was supposed to be at the 3Arena in Dublin, the same venue where McGregor was about to corner Kavanagh, Chandler couldn’t resist a moment that seemed to brim with irony – that not only was McGregor there, but he was endorsing a Bellator product. of which he mocked Chandler for being a former champion.
“Speaking of attending events… glad you finally made it to the 3Arena where the press conference was supposed to be on June 3rd,” Chandler posted on social media. “Sweet slippers. Who is Bellator Tick now? @TheNotoriousMMA”
Speaking of attending events… I’m glad you finally made it to 3Arena, where the press conference was supposed to be on June 3rd. Beautiful slippers. Who is Bellator Tick now? @TheNotoriousMMA https://t.co/1gtJrvuSfM
-Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) June 23, 2024
McGregor said last week that he needs a few weeks to recover, but listed August or September as a timetable for his return. But he also said that when he returns, it will be against “Chandler or not.” McGregor and Chandler have been lined up to fight each other since signing on to film the 31st season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in early 2023. Chandler has been stuck waiting for the fight with McGregor for nearly two years.
Since his last fight in July 2021, between Bellator, BKFC and boxing events, it is likely that McGregor has spent more time at live events hosted by the UFC’s combat sports competition than at his own organization’s shows. After Kavanagh’s loss to Blencowe, McGregor sat cageside drinking his brand of Forged Irish Stout with Bellator-clad personnel.
Conor McGregor at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Jose Peñuela/Bellator Europe 3)