UFC's Dana White confirms Conor McGregor is returning to the octagon

"There are all kinds of things that go on behind the scenes, and it's all about timing. Chandler's been ready, but Conor hasn't been ready," White said. "We talked about this in one of the press conferences recently. He had a lot of obligations that he had to deal with. What you don't want him doing is accepting a fight when he's got a ton of obligations, and he can't train 100% for a fight, so here we are tonight."

McGregor (22-6) has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken left leg in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier in UFC 264. 

Marc Raimondi of ESPN noted McGregor and Chandler coached against each other on "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2023, and the plan was to have them fight after the show's conclusion.

While McGregor is the biggest star in UFC history, it's fair to wonder if he'll struggle in his return. The 35-year-old has only won one fight since 2016.

Chandler (23-8), meanwhile, hasn't fought since losing to Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022. However, Raimondi added the 37-year-old has only lost to the best fighters in the UFC, including Charles Oliveria and Justin Gaethje.

Even though it appears both fighters are past their prime, expect UFC fans to tune in since it features McGregor. He became the first fighter to simultaneously hold two divisional titles (the lightweight and featherweight belt).

Perhaps McGregor will turn back the clock against Chandler. As of Sunday, FanDuel lists him as the favorite (-128) in UFC 303.