‘We see him on boats more than we see him hitting bags’ – Michael Chandler doubts Conor McGregor fight will happen in 2023

‘Notorious’ got MMA fans excited when he confidently claimed to be facing Chandler at UFC 296 on December 16 during an interview with talkSPORT at Anthony Joshua’s latest fight.

Following the conclusion of their Ultimate Fighter series on Tuesday evening, it was thought the UFC may make an official announcement about McGregor vs Chandler.

However, ‘Iron’ remains unclear about when his next fight date is.

“It’s happening in December? I’m not holding my breath. But you know I’m ready,” Chandler said on ESPN’s “DC & RC.”

Any potential delay of McGregor’s comeback is often attributed to the fact he has yet to re-enter the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool.

Unless he’s provided a UFC exemption, the 35-year-old is required to make himself available for random drug tests over the course of six months before competing again.

Chandler believes the UFC drug testing issue is a factor, but says McGregor’s love for his life of luxury is another reason their fight is yet to go ahead.

“That’s definitely one aspect of it, obviously,” he added.

“Is he training? I don’t know how much he’s training. We see him on boats more than we see him hitting bags.

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“For me, you know I’m ready. You know I’m always staying in shape. I am 37 now so I’m trying to keep my diet a little bit more dialled in so I can stay a little bit more ripped, look like a professional athlete.”

The former three-time Bellator champion hasn’t given up hope that he’ll fight McGregor in 2023 but has come to accept that he may need to wait until next year.

“If it could happen by the end of the year, that would be phenomenal,” Chandler concluded.

“But if it spills over into 2024, either way, the most exciting guy in the sport, myself, versus the biggest star in the sport, and the greatest comeback in combat sports history, people are going to tune in and we’re going to put butts on seats.”