Michael Chandler appeared on WWE Raw on Monday night to call out UFC rival Conor McGregor, in the latest crossover moment between the two companies.
The UFC’s parent company Endeavor acquired WWE in September, forming a new brand named TKO. On Saturday (17 February), UFC hosted UFC 298 in Anaheim’s Honda Center, with WWE star CM Punk appearing in the crowd. On Monday (19 February), WWE held an episode of Raw in the same venue, with Chandler sitting in the front row.
Chandler was introduced by the WWE’s ring announcer Samantha Irvin, before saying: “Hey, what’s up, Anaheim? You are now in the presence of the most entertaining UFC fighter on the planet.
“There’s a man from Ireland that’s been making me wait for way too long, and I still got one dude on my mind: Conor Mcgregor.
“Get your candy ass back in the Octagon. We’ve got some unfinished business, boys. God bless, see you at the top.”
Chandler vs McGregor was announced 12 months ago but is still without a date. McGregor, 35, has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. American Chandler also fought Poirier last time out, losing to his compatriot by submission in November 2022.
Chandler, 37, is a former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, while McGregor became the first dual-weight champion in UFC history in 2016.
Years before the UFC and WWE merger, CM Punk fought twice in the mixed martial arts promotion – losing his debut in 2016 before seeing a 2018 defeat overturned to a No Contest.
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made the opposite move, debuting in WWE in 2018 after retiring from MMA in 2016. She went on to reign as a world champion in WWE.
Brock Lesnar held the WWE title in his first stint with the professional wrestling company, which lasted from 2002 until 2004, before he transitioned to MMA and won the UFC heavyweight title in 2008. Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012, where he has remained since – barring one UFC fight in 2016.
