Dana White: Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler the kind of matchup needed for ‘TUF’ on ESPN

LAS VEGAS – Dana White probably could be forgiven if he refused to answer any more questions about why Conor McGregor is coaching the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

After all, if you were the UFC president, wouldn’t you want the fighter who has been the biggest draw in your company’s history to be anyplace you can get him?

“Conor’s a massive star, No. 1,” White said at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 218 post-fight news conference in Las Vegas. “He’s been away for a while. And the timing was perfect for it. That’s why we did it.”

That’s the no-duh answer, it seems. But like with most things involving McGregor, a former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion, there still are some hurdles before McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will have his second stint on the reality show, this time coaching opposite former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC).

The Irishman is under investigation for allegedly attacking a woman on board his yacht in Ibiza in Spain in July 2022. A McGregor rep issued a denial statement on McGregor’s behalf.

McGregor has not fought since a July 2021 TKO loss to Dustin Poirier, which was his second straight knockout loss to him. McGregor broke his leg in the fight. He has been rehabbing since then and his return regularly is teased.

Part of his rehab and recovery included leaving the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug-testing pool, and his return for a UFC fight is contingent on him being in the testing pool for at least six months, barring an exception granted by the UFC>

The former simultaneous two-division champ – who never defended either belt and was stripped of both for inactivity – has lost three of his past four fights. His only win in that stretch was a quick knockout of Donald Cerrone three years ago, which was part of Cerrone’s six straight losses to close his career before retirement.

McGregor remains one of the most popular and bankable athletes in the world and is the UFC’s biggest draw. But in recent years, he’s become known more for his issues outside the cage than in it.

The promotion will attempt to use that star power to inject some life back into “TUF,” with former three-time Bellator titleholder Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) on the other side.

Chandler has been pursuing a matchup with McGregor for the better part of the year. He’s coming off a submission loss to Poirier at UFC 281 in November, and told MMA Junkie in December that he was expecting a clash with McGregor to materialize in the second half of this year.

According to White, the matchup came about because of fan interest. The fact the season will broadcast on big ESPN instead of just as a stream on ESPN+ the way Season 30 did is a boon, as well.

“I think that’s the fight that people want to see right now. I think that’s an exciting fight,” White told MMA Junkie at the UFC Fight Night 218 post-fight news conference. “And the fact that this season is on ESPN (is big). When you think about how long ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ has been around, it started on Spike, we had a run on FOX, and now it’s actually going to be on ESPN the network. … It’s a big deal. This is a big season – it’s a big deal.”

“With Chandler and Conor, I think there’s a level of respect between those two. But when you get inside and you see each other every day and you’re crossing paths, things happen. I don’t know how it’s going to play out, and that makes the season fun.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 218.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie