Conor McGregor opens as favorite in Michael Chandler matchup

Conor McGregor’s name and history still carry a lot of weight.

On New Year’s Day, McGregor announced that he is fighting Michael Chandler at an upcoming UFC event on June 29 during International Fight Week. The bout is yet to be made official by the UFC, but that hasn’t stopped oddsmakers from setting a line for the prospective matchup.

According to DraftKings, the opening line sees McGregor as a slight favorite at -120. A $100 bet on McGregor would provide a return of $183.33. A bet on Chandler, the underdog at +100, would win a $200 payout.

McGregor has a 54.55 percent chance of victory, according to the opening line.

The former two-division champion returns to action for the first time since UFC 264 in July 2021. In a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier, McGregor suffered a broken leg in the opening round that forced him to the sidelines for a prolonged period of time. There has been little MMA success for McGregor to speak of over the past seven years, with his lone win during that stretch being a 40-second knockout of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in January 2020.

Chandler has seen mixed results since making the jump from Bellator to the UFC. He is 2-3 inside the octagon, scoring wins over Tony Ferguson and Dan Hooker while racking up four post-fight bonuses in just five fights for the promotion.