Conor McGregor is actively trying to set up a fight against Michael Chandler for UFC 296, scheduled for December 16th. McGregor and Chandler were opposing coaches on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The general plan has always been for them to fight at the UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year. But there’s an issue: ”The Notorious”. Conor McGregor is not currently part of the USADA drug testing program. This program requires fighters to undergo random tests for six months before they can compete.

While the UFC could potentially make an exception and allow McGregor to fight after just two tests, they don’t seem ready to confirm that decision. Conor McGregor, a famous Irish sports star, recently posted a voice message on X (previously known as Twitter): “They won’t let me fight,” he says. The next day, he changed his mind and wrote, “December is still a possibility.”

Now, McGregor is pushing for the fight date by sharing a post from a fan that shows UFC 296 on the UFC Fight Pass labeled as Chandler vs. McGregor. He posted this screenshot on the UFC’s streaming service.

Let’s be clear, though: there’s no proof that this UFC Fight Pass screenshot is real. It can’t be found now, so it might be fake or simply an employee mistake. It doesn’t confirm that the UFC has definitely decided on McGregor vs. Chandler for December 16th.

The UFC has made mistakes in the past with fight information leaking. For example, Jon Jones’ comeback fight against Ciryl Gane was revealed prematurely when an employee at T-Mobile accidentally displayed the fight details on arena screens before the UFC had a chance to announce it. Is this situation similar? It’s a possibility. But it’s best not to rush and buy plane tickets to Las Vegas just yet.

What’s clear is this: Conor McGregor is still strongly pushing for a comeback before the end of 2023. We’ll keep you informed about whether the UFC shows signs of leaning in that direction. Right now, the fate of McGregor vs. Michael Chandler remains uncertain.