McGregor injures knee at UFC 329 as Chandler emerges as favourite for his next fight

Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC lasted barely a second. The Irishman suffered a knee injury on the very first kick he threw in his rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 329, with Holloway subsequently declared the winner. Speculation about McGregor’s next opponent has moved quickly, with his next fight set to be the final bout on his current UFC contract.

Michael Chandler has opened as the 2/1 betting favourite to face McGregor next, according to odds released by BetOnline.ag. The matchup has been discussed for years — the two men served as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter — and was originally scheduled for 2024 before McGregor pulled out with an injury.

A trilogy with Holloway is next in the market at 3/1. The pair are level at 1-1, and Holloway called for a rubber match in the immediate aftermath of McGregor’s injury at UFC 329. A third fight would settle one of the promotion’s most enduring rivalries.

Nate Diaz is listed third at 5/1 despite no longer being on the UFC roster. Like Holloway, Diaz is 1-1 with McGregor, but any trilogy would require the UFC to re-sign the Stockton native before a deal could be formalised.

Further down the board, Jorge Masvidal is priced at 7/1, Justin Gaethje at 8/1, Paddy Pimblett at 10/1, and Dustin Poirier at 12/1. Both Masvidal and Poirier have retired from competition but have each indicated openness to an Octagon return under the right circumstances.

Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov — who held the title from April 2018 to March 2021 and submitted McGregor in their 2018 meeting — carries the longest odds on the board at 20/1. Nurmagomedov has remained retired since October 2020, making any comeback highly speculative.