Chael Sonnen Questions Whether McGregor Will Fight Again
Chael Sonnen questioned Conor McGregor’s return after his canceled 2024 bout with Michael Chandler. McGregor eventually fought Max Holloway at UFC 329.
What Sonnen argued
After Chandler moved on from the matchup, Sonnen suggested McGregor’s inactivity and lifestyle raised doubts about whether he would return to competition. MMA Weekly reported Sonnen’s comments. They were his interpretation, not a statement from McGregor or the UFC.
Chandler fought Oliveira at UFC 309 in November 2024 and lost by unanimous decision. His UFC record lists the result. The McGregor–Chandler bout was booked to headline UFC 303, then canceled because McGregor was injured; it was not rebooked afterward.
McGregor’s eventual return
McGregor did return to the Octagon, facing Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11, 2026. Holloway won by TKO at 1:09 of the first round after McGregor was injured. The UFC’s official report records the result.
Sonnen’s 2024 doubts did not amount to a prediction that McGregor would never fight again. McGregor eventually competed again, though not against Chandler and not until nearly two years later.
Sonnen’s 2024 comments questioned whether McGregor would return, but the later record supplies the answer: McGregor fought again, just not against Chandler. Holloway’s first-round stoppage ended the bout in 2026. That outcome resolves the question of whether McGregor competed again, while leaving Sonnen’s earlier concerns as commentary from the time.
