Dana White lifts lid on Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler rivalry after incident between pair

Dana White has said ‘a lot of s***’ has gone down between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler on the set of The Ultimate Fighter, with the UFC president adding: ‘They do not like each other now.’

McGregor and Chandler are currently filming the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television show on which the pair are coaching opposing teams of athletes. McGregor and Chandler will then fight one another later this year, with a date and location yet to be confirmed.

“Chandler and Conor were very respectful to each other, and then some things started escalating that you’ll see on the show,” White said after UFC 285 on Saturday (4 March).

“They do not like each other now. A lot of s*** went down on Friday. I don’t look at stuff that’s good for the show or things like that; whatever happens, happens.

“The stuff that just happened shouldn’t have happened, and I’m getting old – I would have been in there sooner back in the day, but [it wasn’t] good.”

Irishman McGregor said during the first week of filming for The Ultimate Fighter: “I like Michael, I had a good little buzz with him [...] I have no issues with him at all. I think he’s a good fighter. I think I’m just gonna slice through him.”

Meanwhile, American Chandler said during the first week of filming that he is happy for McGregor to have “the illusion of dominance”.

Thirty-four-year-old McGregor – a former dual-weight UFC champion – and Chandler, 36, are both 1-3 in their last four fights.

McGregor has not fought since suffering a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, while Chandler’s last result was a submission loss to Poirier in November.

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