Conor McGregor opens up as slight favorite over Michael Chandler in UFC return

Oddsmakers are favoring Conor McGregor to return to the win column in his comeback.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) announced that his fight with Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will take place at 185 pounds June at International Fight Week.

According to DraftKings, McGregor is -120 favorite, meaning a $120 bet would be needed on “The Notorious” to return $100 profit. Chandler is a +100 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the former Bellator champion would win $100.

McGregor will return for the first time since he broke his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, which will mark a layoff of nearly three years when he makes the walk against Chandler. McGregor hasn’t won a bout since he finished Donald Cerrone with a 40-second TKO at welterweight in January 2020.

If his fight with Chandler happens at middleweight, McGregor will join Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian as the only fighters in UFC history to compete in four different weight classes.

Chandler hasn’t competed since a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022. Prior to that, he scored a Knockout of the Year contender of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. The former UFC title challenger and ex-Bellator champ has earned bonuses in four of his five UFC fights.