“Conor, come back and beat me if you can.” Michael Chandler’s fiery post-UFC 309 callout echoed through the MMA world, reigniting hopes for a long-anticipated showdown. “If you can get your house back in order, while us real professionals have been keeping the Octagon warm, we’re wondering where you’ve been,” Chandler added, his frustration simmering after waiting for more than a year-and-a-half for ‘The Notorious’.

With Chandler’s patience wearing thin, his words reignited interest in the long-teased fight between him and Conor McGregor, which has been stalled over injuries and scheduling conflicts. While McGregor responded with a playful jab on X (formerly Twitter), calling Chandler a “mad little fellow,” the question remains, is this ‘the fight’ that will finally bring the ‘Notorious’ back to the octagon?

Adding fuel to the fire, former UFC champion Daniel Cormier offered his take on the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ podcast, suggesting the fight is now closer than ever. “I think that today, we are closer to that fight happening than we were even when it was originally scheduled,” said Cormier, referring to their ill-fated UFC 303 booking.

Cormier seems to believe that McGregor, known for his meticulous approach, might have seen an opportunity after Chandler’s grueling performance against Oliveira. “He got hurt many times by Oliveira,” Cormier noted. “I thought he was going to get finished. He was getting hit with shots that would knock most people out, but he kept going and going.” For McGregor, a calculated strategist despite his brash persona, this opens up a potential weakness in Chandler’s defense that could be exploited with precision striking.

Will Michael Chandler‘s toughness portrayed during UFC 309 prevail, or will McGregor’s sharp counters be too much to handle? It’s an interesting question, but the more pressing question here is – Is McGregor genuinely interested in fighting Chandler?

Is McGregor’s Optimism a genuine shift or just another bluff towards Chandler?

While Conor McGregor‘s callouts are usually laced with bravado, his recent comments reveal a more measured approach. Speaking about ‘Iron Mike’s fight against Oliveira, McGregor expressed optimism about their bout finally coming to fruition. “As fas as Chandler rematching Oliveira, I’m happy with the date,” McGregor said. “Maybe we can still do it after… December, January, February, one of these dates.”

McGregor admitted to feeling “out of the loop” but maintained his commitment to training and testing as per regulations. “All I can do is carry on, doing what I’m doing. I test, I train daily, and that’s it. Hopefully, it all comes to fruition.” This tempered tone contrasts sharply with Michael Chandler’s brash callout and McGregor’s regular demeanor, which raises the stakes – is McGregor biding his time for a calculated return, or is he losing interest in the fight entirely?

This isn’t the first time McGregor has positioned himself as the antagonist in a fight. His bouts with Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov were dripping with animosity and personal stakes. Hence, for ‘Iron Mike’, the question is whether he be able to withstand the mental warfare ‘Notorious’ is known to bring. ‘Iron’, much like McGregor’s past foes, is no stranger to adversity. His ability to stay composed despite high-pressure scenarios makes this battle a test of willpower as much as skill.

Would you bet on Michael Chandler’s grit or Conor McGregor’s precision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!