Dana White Faces a Challenge in Bringing Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler Fight

• UFC

A familiar face haunts the UFC scene, despite having seemingly faded into the background. Conor McGregor, the ubiquitous Irishman who changed the game of mixed martial arts, is a topic that never ceases to surface. With fans eagerly awaiting his return, every press conference with UFC President Dana White is inevitably peppered with questions about McGregor's future.

The Impending Fight: McGregor vs. Chandler

The eleventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter" (TUF) has kicked off, yet there is an air of uncertainty surrounding the date and location of the highly anticipated fight between McGregor and Michael Chandler.

McGregor's entry into the USADA's testing program seems to point towards a return to the cage, the earliest of which could be later this year. Yet, the reality of his return was still somewhat nebulous until White addressed the issue in a recent press conference.

When questioned about the probability of McGregor fighting again, White's response carried a tinge of uncertainty: “I never get concerned,” White stated to a sea of reporters, including MMA Junkie. “We have a massive roster of people that want to come in and people that are ready to fight and people that want to be Conor McGregor.

And be at that level. This is a professional sport. People come in here, they achieve great things and they retire. You can never worry about that type of stuff. It’s my job and my team’s job to find new talent and build them”.

McGregor's Return: A Financial Consideration?

White provided some context to McGregor's hesitation to step back into the ring, stating, “First of all, Conor called me a couple days ago and loved the first episode of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ and saying how happy he was to be a part of it.

And I think being here and part of the environment and everything else, he felt it again and felt like he wants to get back to fight." Interestingly, White pointed to the substantial financial reserves of fighters like McGregor and retired champ Khabib Nurmagomedov as a possible hindrance.

"These guys got sh*tloads of money and it’s hard to reel these guys in and get them to get in and fight," White explained. White's statement sparked a flurry of worry among fans on social media. However, given McGregor's move to enter the USADA program, it appears that the fiery Irishman may well grace the UFC octagon once more by the end of this year.