DUBLIN – Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor announced on social media on Dec 31 that he plans to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) comeback on June 29 against Michael Chandler in Las Vegas.

UFC has neither revealed a McGregor comeback bout nor commented on the video. “I’d like to announce the return date for myself, ‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor,” he said in a video on X, formerly Twitter.

“The greatest comeback of all time will take place in Las Vegas, International Fight Week of June 29. The opponent, Michael Chandler – and the weight, Mr Chandler, 185 pounds.”

Chandler (23-8) is a three-time Bellator lightweight world champion. The American, 37, replied: “I always said I wanted you at your biggest, your baddest and your best. 185 would look good on me.”

ESPN reported he had been training for a fight with McGregor after coaching against him in “The Ultimate Fighter 31” reality series in 2023, but he had not been made aware of an official date for their fight.

The controversial Irishman, 35, had previously mooted his interest in various other bouts – from a bare-knuckle boxing match to a professional bout against retired Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

McGregor (22-6) last fought at UFC 264 in July 2021. Dustin Poirier beat him by first-round technical knockout after McGregor’s leg broke.

But rather than sticking with lightweight (155lb/70.3kg), McGregor, who has competed as high as 170lb (77.1kg), proposed a fight at the middleweight level (185lb/83.9kg).

McGregor had been at the centre of a spat between the UFC and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), which ended when the MMA promotion terminated its partnership with Usada, which had run the UFC’s anti-doping programme since 2015.

In October, Usada chief executive officer Travis Tygart said in a statement that “despite a positive and productive meeting about a contract renewal in May 2023, UFC did an about-face and informed Usada on Monday, Oct 9, that it was going in a different direction”.

Collection agency Drug Free Sport International has taken over Usada’s role from Jan 1.

After losing to American Poirier, McGregor withdrew from the Usada drug-testing pool while he went into rehabilitation. According to Usada rules, a fighter must spend six months in the testing pool and pass two drug tests before returning to fight. REUTERS