Conor McGregor's return to UFC is now confirmed three years after his last fight inside the octagon, but the announcement hasn't convinced some fans.
McGregor confirmed in a video on X on New Year's Eve that he would be making his long-awaited UFC return to face Michael Chandler in Las Vegas on June 29.
It will be the first time the Irishman has fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier back in 2021.
In the announcement video, McGregor also said the fight would be at 185lbs - a weight class neither of the two fighters have fought at before.
Conor McGregor's announcement video has been watched by millions
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McGregor and Chandler were expected to fight in 2023 with discussions taking place earlier in the year when they both coached against each other on The Ultimate Fighter.
A clip went viral from the show when McGregor said "you'll do what you're told" when stating the weight would be 185lbs.
But the fight between the two was delayed due to McGregor's absence from the USADA drug-testing pool.
McGregor's post has already been seen more than eight million times with several of followers delighted with the announcement.
However, some are less optimistic about the fight going ahead given how long its been since McGregor last fought.
One person predicted: "This man will never fight again."
Another posted: "This sounds like a joke? 185lbs?"
A third wrote: "I'll believe it when @danawhite announces it!"
Another moaned: "Another six months cmon man."
Chandler himself appeared surprised by the announcement and suggested he didn't know about the date.
Conor McGregor hasn't fought since July 2021
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He told ESPN: "Here we go, this is the fight I've been training for. Any weight -- 155, 170, 185 pounds -- is good with me."
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier also believes McGregor's announcement video is proof the 35-year-old is trying to be the "bad guy".
“Why is he saying 185? Well, you got to watch the video, and you hear the laugh at the end, ” Cormier said on YouTube.
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Conor McGregor wants to fight at 185
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“It’s like Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers shows. You remember Dr. Evil would make these little jokes and he would laugh and put his finger in his face?
"Because he knew he was being bad. That’s what McGregor is doing.“
McGregor is being bad. McGregor is playing the game. McGregor is being the villain right now. Because the villain manipulates.
"The villain pulls the strings, the villain is the puppet master. The villain makes you move to his music, the villain makes you move to his rhythm.”
