Michael Chandler headed into RAF 3 with one goal in mind: shake off the rust, dump Chad Mendes on his back, and prove to everyone that he’s built on more than just hype. He accomplished just that, cruising through the contest and securing a clean victory that left fans buzzing about his post-fight words. But instead of the one name everyone expected, the name he’s practically glued to every microphone for two years, ‘Iron’ swerved.
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He did not shout “Conor McGregor.” He didn’t smirk, pause, and deliver a theatrical challenge. He didn’t even tease it. Instead, he singled out Olympic hero Jordan Burroughs, leaving fans confused. And within hours, Michael Chandler knew he had to explain why the man he’d been chasing since 2022… suddenly wasn’t worth mentioning.
The real reason why Michael Chandler snubbed Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler didn’t dance around it. In his video message, he kept it simple: there was nothing left to say. He told his fans, “I’m not going to call out Conor at a wrestling match… I’ve done enough.” Then he dropped the line that stopped the MMA world mid-scroll: “The fight’s already happening… been signed, sealed, and delivered since June of 2024.”
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‘Iron Mike’ believes the callout period is over. He claims Conor McGregor has already brought in sparring partners that mimic Chandler’s style, indicating that the Irishman is committed. “You know I want to fight him. You know he wants to fight me,” he said.
And as the ink dried, Chandler saw no reason to keep selling it. “He’s going to make good on his promise… here in June of ’26.” That’s why, with the mic in hand after defeating Mendes in Chicago, ‘Iron’ reached for a bigger wrestling name: Jordan Burroughs. “In the sport of wrestling, I was going to call out the biggest name I possibly could,” he explained.
Michael Chandler saying he skipped the callout at the RAF event because he is fully convinced the Conor fight is already happening saying “it’s been signed sealed and delivered since June 2024”💀✍️
Via: @MikeChandlerMMA pic.twitter.com/4YhGFJSmUV
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) December 1, 2025
‘The Notorious’ is for June. And he did not shy away from the destination: the White House. “I’ll fight Conor in June, South Lawn, White House. God bless. See ya.” The confidence is almost unsettling given the matchup’s history of delays, false starts, and missed deadlines.
But Michael Chandler is no longer speaking hypothetically; instead, he speaks as if he already knows the date, the contract, and the walkout route. If he’s wrong, he’ll look delusional. If he’s right, he’ll look prophetic. Till then, he continues to sharpen his wrestling skill, as the UFC fighter wants to dismantle McGregor at the White House, while a new title may be introduced to spice things up even more.
Chandler pitches his ideas and predictions for the McGregor fight
For Michael Chandler, the White House card is more than just a venue; it’s the platform he’s been picturing for months. He already talks as if the outcome is predetermined, saying he’s ready to “be draped in the stars and bars” after knocking Conor McGregor out on the South Lawn. And, with the fight being regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime event, he’s leaning into it rather than pretending it’s just another booking.
That’s why he proposed a unique twist: the White House belt. Not a divisional championship, not the BMF, but something designed expressly for this card. “There’s no belt on the line,” he said in a recent interview, “but maybe they’ll come out with a White House belt… something cool for this momentous occasion.” If the UFC is going to do something unprecedented, ‘Iron’ wants to walk away with the symbol of it.
As for the fight itself, he isn’t shy. He didn’t promise a war—he pledged control. “Go out there and not just beat Conor, but dominate him, and systematically and surgically break the man down,” Chandler said. If his confidence turns out to be misplaced, he’ll be hearing about it for the rest of his life. If he is correct, the White House may become the most dramatic comeback setting ‘The Notorious’ has ever stepped into.
Written by
Edited by
Syed Rahil Ahmed