'THAT'S FUN'
Conor McGregor given replacement fight offer by ex-champ ahead of UFC 303 showdown with Michael Chandler
An official back-up for the Return of the Mac hasn't been announced
CONOR MCGREGOR could end up fighting a former UFC champion if Michael Chandler withdraws from their showdown.
The Irishman will be welcomed back to the octagon by his fellow fan favourite on June 29 in the main event of UFC 303 in Las Vegas.
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MMA's top promotion have yet to announce a back-up for the blockbuster showdown.
The identity of the backup fighter, if there is one, will likely be revealed during Fight Week.
Although former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has thrown his hat into the ring in case injury befalls Chandler.
He told the : "You find me an exciting fight, maybe in the lightweight division, or something like that, that’s fun.
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" I don’t want to wait too long.
"I mean I’ve told myself I wouldn’t do it but to capitalise on a massive opportunity because I know featherweight is going to be there, against Conor McGregor I still probably would.
" You just put that scenario there, maybe I will."
McGregor and Volkanovski, both 35, have a history of going back and forth with one another on social media, with the former branding the latter a "little sausage" last year.
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Volkanovski was last in action in February at UFC 298, where he lost the featherweight title to Ilia Topuria via brutal second-round KO.
McGregor, meanwhile, hasn't set foot inside the octagon since snapping his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
The former two-weight world champion underwent a painstaking rehab to get himself fighting fit for his eagerly-anticipated octagon return.
Fans all say same thing as Michael Chandler is LEFT OUT of Conor McGregor UFC 303 fight trailer
And he plans to get back to winning ways by landing his once-shattered shin on the dome of Chandler.
In a recent interview with James Corden, he said: "I am Terminator now.
"I have a titanium rod that goes into the knee and down to the bone, right down to my ankle.
"It’s unbreakable.
"I wish for and I will work on landing this kick - with this steel bar in my leg - against an opponent and getting them out of there."
Inside McGregor's Notorious lifestyle
With more sides to his personality than an Octagon, Conor McGregor's rise has been an enthralling watch.
Going from UFC icon to entrepreneur and Hollywood star, the Irishman has transcended the sport he helped bring to the masses.
He has four children with fiancee Dee Devlin and the family enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
McGregor has not fought in UFC since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021.
That has not stopped him amassing a net worth of over £150m thanks to his Proper No Twelve whiskey and fashion line.
And he is due to return to the Octagon at UFC 303 in an eagerly-awaited headline clash with Michael Chandler.
McGregor also starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the Amazon Prime remake of classic movie Road House, although he is dreading his mum seeing one X-rated scene.
Notorious turned up to the premiere in a £60,000 suit that was outdone by his £460k watch.
The only thing sharper than his fashion sense is his tongue and the Dubliner has several bitter spats under his belt, including with UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
That row led to one of his biggest controversies in 2018 as he travelled 3,000 miles to confront Khabib in a vicious attack on his bus.
He pleaded guilty to assault after punching a man in a pub in 2018 and had his £150k Bentley seized by police for driving offences four years later.
Joe Rogan lashed out at McGregor in a four-letter outburst and the Irishman has also fired shots at Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy Fury.
Boxing great Floyd Mayweather also has McGregor on his enemy list after the pair clashed in a cross-sport bout in 2017.
Read all of our latest Conor McGregor stories.
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