Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the Octagon after a five-year hiatus lasted only 1:09 minutes at UFC 329. Hype for the showdown was higher than UFC Freedom 250, but was shattered within the opening minute as the “Notorious” threw a flashing, flying left roundhouse kick right out of the gate.
His right knee buckled immediately. A compromised McGregor desperately tried to push through the pain, but his leg kept giving out. Max Holloway didn’t even have to knock him down. The referee just saw that the Irishman couldn’t stand up and waved the contest off.
That anticlimactic finish has revived a question that’s been sitting unanswered for two years: why McGregor didn’t run it back with Michael Chandler first. Two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya is the latest name to say the fight still needs to happen, and he laid out exactly why on a recent podcast appearance.
Israel Adesanya Says Michael Chandler Is the Only Fight Left for Conor McGregor
The Chandler-McGregor saga goes back to “The Ultimate Fighter 31” in 2023, when the two coached opposite each other and built a fight that was supposed to headline UFC 303. McGregor pulled out weeks before that June 2024 date with a broken toe, and Chandler sat on the sideline for months waiting on a rebooking.
Since the fight never happened, he eventually moved on but hit a brutal losing streak, dropping fights to Charles Oliveira and Paddy Pimblett before getting knocked out by Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14.
Since Conor lost to Holloway on Saturday night, his title shot hopes are dead for now. Dana White actually had five different scenarios ready if “The Notorious” won, but now he has to throw all of them in the trash. That’s why Adesanya argued on the Precision Podcast that Michael Chandler is the only matchup that makes any sense if Conor ever returns.
He said, “He kind of owes Chandler that fight. He honey-dicked him for two or three years while Chandler was waiting for the big-money fight. So after all that time, it’d be good for them to finally settle the score.”
Israel Adesanya believes Conor McGregor should finally fight Michael Chandler after making him wait for over two years.
“If he does decide to come back later on, Chandler would be the only fight that makes sense. He kind of owes Chandler that fight. He honey-dicked him for two… pic.twitter.com/PSokizT2YG
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) July 13, 2026
Adesanya is currently dealing with a career-worst four-fight losing streak, most recently dropping a second-round TKO loss to Joe Pyfer in March. Following that loss, the 36-year-old Nigerian-New Zealand striker shook up his entire career by leaving his longtime team at City Kickboxing to look for a fresh start with new coaches.
Since Adesanya is also trying to bounce back from his own rough skid, his advice for McGregor feels like the best move for everyone involved. Given their current injuries, age, and losing streaks, it is the only matchup that is left on the board logically, as the 37-year-old has promised to return healthy.
Why the Timing Now Favors a Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler Booking
The circumstances line up better for this fight than they have in years. McGregor is coming off a fluke, embarrassing exit and needs a clean, marketable follow-up rather than another high-difficulty step-up fight.
Meanwhile, Chandler is on a brutal three-fight losing streak but keeps telling reporters that the two of them will settle their beef “somehow, some way,” whether it’s in the Octagon or not. At this point, neither guy has anything left to lose by signing the contract, and fans still care about the beef they started on The Ultimate Fighter.
If Conor ever steps back into the cage, Israel Adesanya’s logic is pretty much impossible to argue with
