Michael Chandler may have inherited a matchup meant for the UFC’s biggest star.
That’s according to UFC lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy, who will be one of the fighters tasked with preventing an American victory on the White House lawn this June.
The full UFC White House card was revealed last Saturday, and it is safe to say that many are unsatisfied by the lineup given how much it had been hyped up by Dana White and United States President Donald Trump.
Among the issues fans have is the absence of Conor McGregor, but if Ruffy is to be believed, that was the Irishman’s choice.
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Mauricio Ruffy says Conor McGregor opted against fighting him before the Michael Chandler bout came together
McGregor was among the most vocal fighters when it came to staking his claim for a spot at the June 14 event after it was first announced last summer.
But just hours before the card was revealed, the former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion confirmed he would not be fighting in Washington D.C.
He put that down to the UFC wanting to extract as much financial gain from his comeback as possible by having him return at an arena event with a gate.
During a recent appearance on the Overdogs Brazil podcast with Glover Teixeira, however, Ruffy suggested that the offer to fight him at the White House was there.
“Conor McGregor talked about the possibility of a fight, opened up the possibility of fighting,” Ruffy said (h/t HITC).
“It was discussed, but he’s the one who makes the decisions and he made the decision not to fight.
“I also didn’t have high expectations about it,” he added.
Ruffy will instead fight Chandler, who was originally set to welcome McGregor back to the Octagon in 2024 and had hoped to be re-booked against the Dublin native this year.
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If Ruffy’s comments are accurate, many may be questioning McGregor’s decision.
A number of fans reacted to the UFC White House lineup by expressing disappointment at the Irishman’s omission, and some even specifically mentioned the rumored Ruffy fight on social media.
“McGregor vs Ruffy could’ve been a banger.”
“Why is Michael Chandler on the White House card? Ruffy vs McGregor would have been 100% better.”