Chael Sonnen has outlined why Conor McGregor continues to be the UFC’s most popular figure heading into 2026, even after staying inactive for nearly five years.
While ‘The Notorious’ has expressed interest in fighting on the UFC White House Card and is doing everything he can to return this year on June 14, Sonnen thinks the Irishman will most likely retire.
Sonnen says that McGregor retired the day he pulled out of his UFC 303 fight against Michael Chandler in 2024. The UFC Hall of Famer holds the same stance to date.
In his view, McGregor is marketing himself to keep the fighter’s image alive, knowing that if the image dies, the person follows. Therefore, despite ‘The Notorious’ putting out training clips and more to make fans know how excited he is to return and face Chandler, Sonnen isn’t convinced.
However, the 48-year-old believes McGregor to be the number one fighter in 2026, despite not having thrown a punch in years.
The UFC Hall of Famer says Conor possesses something more precious than a UFC belt, that is, the “mandate of the masses.”
“My larger point is not the power or the suggestive power that Conor wields, but Conor’s got the biggest thing that you can have in this sport, which is the mandate of the masses. Much more important than having a belt. Much more important in this space than having million-dollar paydays or main events, or back-end participation. If you have the mandate of the masses, as a byproduct, I mean, just simply by default, you will have main events, title opportunities, backend points, and participations.”
Check out Chael Sonnen’s comments below (2:40):
Michael Chandler confirms Conor McGregor showdown
As per Michael Chandler, he and Conor McGregor will fight on the UFC White House card. ‘Iron’ had previously said that ‘The Notorious’ has brought in guys in his training camp to mimic Chandler’s style, and the fight is a done deal. Both have verbally confirmed the bout.
Most recently, Chandler said this on the CBS NYE broadcast:
“It does sound like I’ll be handing Conor McGregor a good ol’ fashioned bu*t whooping on the South Lawn of the White House sometime this summer. That’s the plan.”
Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below:
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