Morning Report | Israel Adesanya: Conor McGregor ‘owes’ Michael Chandler final UFC fight

Israel Adesanya believes Conor McGregor should grant Michael Chandler the fight that has eluded the former Bellator champion for years. Speaking on the Precision podcast with Demetrious Johnson, Adesanya weighed in on McGregor's injury-plagued return at UFC 329, where a leg injury forced the Irish star to withdraw after just 69 seconds against Max Holloway—his first octagon appearance since breaking his leg in a July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier.

Chandler, a three-time Bellator lightweight champion who joined the UFC in 2021, has pursued a matchup with McGregor since joining the promotion. The two were cast as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter Season 31, setting the stage for a potential comeback fight. A bout between them was officially booked for UFC 303 in June 2024, but McGregor withdrew due to a toe injury, forcing Chandler to wait even longer after already spending two years sidelined awaiting the contest.

Adesanya argues that McGregor "owes" Chandler the fight after years of delays and broken promises. "He kind of honeydicked him for like two, three years while Chandler was waiting for the big money fight," Adesanya said, using colorful language to describe the situation. He believes the matchup makes tactical sense for McGregor's comeback, offering a winnable bout against an opponent coming off a long layoff while also providing closure to their unresolved rivalry.

The former middleweight champion suggested that ending his UFC tenure with a loss to Holloway would be an anticlimactic finale for McGregor's storied career. "I think Chandler would be the only fight to make right now," Adesanya concluded, positioning the clash as both a debt to be repaid and McGregor's best path to exit on his own terms.