The pair are lined up to meet in the octagon next year but no official date or venue for the bout has been set.

Michael Chandler is set to welcome Conor McGregor back to the UFCCredit: Getty

McGregor was accused by Chandler of being ‘scared’ to fight himCredit: AP

And Chandler, 37, believes McGregor, 35, is trying to find a new opponent by calling out other rivals.

He posted on X, formerly Twitter: “You ever realize how @TheNotoriousMMA stays silent on social about me.

“Telltale sign, he’s smart, he’d rather find a lesser opponent. He’s waiting for me to move on.

“It’s too late to be scared man. Can’t remain afraid kid.”

In a now-deleted post, McGregor hit back: “Lol what? I’m just waiting on the date you little bum and you are getting electrocuted.”

The Irishman has been out of action since July 2021 when he broke his leg in the first round of his trilogy decider with Dustin Poirier.

McGregor has been out of the UFC’s all-year round random drug testing pool since his injury.

And to return, he must complete six months of United States Anti-Doping Agency tests, which he has now started.

So his head coach John Kavanagh is braced to see the multimillionaire back under his tutelage soon.

Kavanagh told MMA Junkie: “What’s his motivation at this stage?

“I guess you have to ask him, but it’s definitely something I’ve wondered about.

“When you’ve won the belt, and you’ve got all the money, what keeps you coming back? There’s only one thing that makes sense to me.

“If you can tell me something else, I’d love to hear it: You just love it. You just really enjoy it.

“If you take away somebody’s financial motivation for doing something, you really learn what they want to do.

“He didn’t pick up golf. He didn’t start doing fishing. He’s not someone to go on six-month holidays.

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“Wherever he goes, there’s a gym with him with his trainers and nutritionists. That’s been since the leg break.

“Nothing has changed since then.”

McGregor facing off with Chandler