Michael Chandler starts fight camp as Conor McGregor remains ‘on the gargle’

Much ado about something?

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 31: Team McGregor vs. Team Chandler is wrapped and we still don’t know when Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will fight. But, recent tweets from “Iron” Mike seem to imply a date could be coming soon.

Chandler took to X (formerly Twitter) with a somewhat cryptic message for fans.

“Nothing more powerful than hearing a sense of commitment & passion from what the masses consider an uncommitted person,” Chandler said in what he labeled a “voicenote.” “Fact of the matter is y’all read headlines & form an opinion. We are a different breed. Never underestimate the human spirit. Looking at you Mac.”

One hour earlier, the former Bellator Lightweight champion shared gym pictures saying he was back in fight camp.

“Going to be the best camp of my life … the time off has been needed,” he wrote.

In a since-deleted tweet, McGregor replied to Chandler with his own message.

“I’m on the gargle every night and still gonna smack the s— out of you,” he declared.

“On the gargle” is Irish slang for drinking, and McGregor certainly sounds like he’s been gargled in recent voice clips posted to social media. For the past few months, “The Notorious” has gained a reputation for uploading numerous audio recordings where he discusses the fights.

He’s often slurring his words or straight-up drunkenly singing songs.

The Irish sports star is in the middle of launching his Forged Irish Stout, a new multi-million dollar venture he hopes will crack him into the $10 billion stout market. So, in his own way, he’s hard at work making more money than any fight in combat sports could earn him. Whether it’s a good use of his time if he hopes to pull off the greatest comeback in mixed martial arts (MMA) history remains to be seen.

Speculation on when McGregor and Chandler will fight remains high, and “The Notorious” has been pushing UFC 296 on Dec. 16, 2023, as the date he’s aiming for. That will require UFC to issue McGregor a controversial exemption to the standard six-month wait period required by its drug testing partner, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Will it do that? UFC President, Dana White, has avoided the question for months, claiming it’s not his job to sort out.

With Chandler back in camp and McGregor claiming December is “back on the table,” we could have some firm news to report on the fight soon.

For more TUF 31-related (and Conor McGregor) news and notes click here.