Michael Chandler is finally moving on from Conor McGregor 17 months after UFC CEO Dana White first teased the fight. White announced on Friday that Chandler will rematch former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 instead.
White told Barstool Sports that Oliveira vs. Chandler 2 would be a five-round co-main event inside New York's Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16.
"Chandler said, 'I'm done waiting. I want to fight,'" White said, noting they may revisit the McGregor fight later.
McGregor responded to the news with an expletive-filled rant, accusing Chandler of fleeing from the fight after seeing training footage of McGregor's takedown defense.
"Chandler saw that takedown getting stuffed and mauled and officially dipped," McGregor wrote. "Little fat p----. I'm at the Hard Rock Hotel Florida for [Bare Knuckle FC] tonight. Got tested earlier today by DFSI. Give me my f---ing date!"
McGregor vs. Chandler was first proposed after White announced the athletes as rival coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter" season 31. The fight was finally booked more than a year later to headline UFC 303 on June 29 for UFC International Fight Week. McGregor pulled out weeks before the fight due to a broken pinkie toe. Chandler has not competed since a November 2022 loss to Dustin Poirier, largely due to waiting on the McGregor fight.
Oliveira is coming off a split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan in a title eliminator at UFC 300 in April. Oliveira and Chandler previously met in an exciting clash at UFC 262 in 2021. Oliveira defeated Chandler via second-round TKO to win the vacant UFC lightweight title, breaking the record for most UFC finishes (17).
No main event has officially been announced for UFC 309; however, it's widely expected that UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former champ Stipe Miocic will run back their canceled fight from last year's MSG show.
