CONOR McGREGOR has received a fresh call out from Michael Chandler with The Notorious set to return to the UFC octagon this year.
The Irishman, 34, has been out of action since July 2021 after breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier.
During his recovery, McGregor has been filming for his big screen debut as well as piling on the muscle.
But this year, the former double champion is primed for a blockbuster return to the UFC and Chandler has campaigned to welcome him back.
The American grappler has now issued a fresh call out, saying he’d like to fight “tanned and jacked” McGregor at welterweight.
The 36-year-old told MMA Junkie: “Obviously Dana’s on board with it, I think the UFC’s on board with it – I do think Conor’s on board with it.
“We’ve seen our interactions in the past. You’re not going to see me out here badmouthing him, mother-effing him, and tweeting him and all that stuff. That’s not my style.
“I’ve always been respectful of Conor. I’ve always said the sport of mixed martial arts is better when Conor is in it, so let me be the other guy on the other side of the octagon.”
Chandler continued: “Let’s be honest: I fought outside the UFC for most of my career.
“I’ve never once been worried about if a guy has been using anything whatsoever.
“I will say it’s just downright false that USADA – are people going to scrutinise things and look at things through a microscope and comb through it with a fine-tooth comb and say, ‘USADA could to this better, USADA could do that better’ – absolutely. But overall, we can be tested at any time, any place, anywhere.
“Our whereabouts are on our phones at all times. Is it a perfect system? No. Will it ever be perfect? Absolutely not. Do I have any concerns whatsoever, absolutely not.
“Then also the guy comes back and he’s six months in the USADA testing pool getting tested six times, 12 times, five times, two times – it doesn’t matter.
“He’s in the pool for that amount of time, six months is half a year. It’s a long time. So, I have no concerns. I’m not that worried about it, honestly.
“I’ve wished Conor a speedy recovery from the beginning. It’s not like he sprained his ankle. It’s not like he broke his hand, it’s not like he broke his nose. The guy shattered his leg.
“So I hope he’s doing well on it, hopes he’s recovering well.
“He looks big, tanned and jacked and I would love to fight him at 170. Let’s do it.”
Former UFC lightweight star Paul Felder also wants to see McGregor fight Chandler – but only because he won’t be able to keep up with some of the younger guys.
Felder says McGregor wouldn’t want to fight Arman Tsarukyan, who is one of the “young, hungry absolute maniacs” in the division.
The retired 38-year-old, who has had spats with McGregor in the past, said: “I don’t mean this in any disrespect but I do think the division is just passing him by badly. I think it’s passing a lot of us.
“I’m older than him by a few years at least but this next generation of fighters, if you’re not in there mixing it up with them and on the mats with those types of dudes everyday — I know he’s training — but he’s going to have to definitely hope for fights like Michael Chandler, who’s a beast but those are the guys you can still compete with.
“You don’t want to be fighting Arman Tsarukyan or [Mateusz] Gamrot or these young, hungry absolute maniacs that are working their way up the division.”
