Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor are still yet to get a new date for their much-anticipated clash.

The pair were supposed to square off at UFC 303 on June 29 but McGregor withdrew from the contest with a broken toe.

McGregor vs Chandler was supposed to go down in JuneCredit: Getty

McGregor is now fully fit and wants to return to action at the back end of this year.

However, UFC president Dana White is insistent that his biggest star won’t be back in action until 2025.

Chandler has been waiting patiently for his opportunity to face McGregor since they squared off as coaches in The Ultimate Fighter reality television show last year.

The 38-year-old MMA star hasn’t fought since losing to Dustin Poirier in November 2022 and has wasted valuable years chasing McGregor.

Despite this, welterweight contender Stephen Thompson still thinks the ‘smart’ move for Chandler is to remain patient.

“It’s frustrating because I definitely would love to see him [McGregor] fight again some time soon,” he told talkSPORT MMA.

“I know he broke his toe and things like that, but you’ve got to think [about] it from his part too like he doesn’t have to fight.

“I know he’s a lifelong martial artist and it would be great for his fight to happen.

“It would be smart for Chandler to wait for that fight because I mean who else is he going to fight?

“I mean is he going to fight someone lower ranked than him, is he going to fight somebody for the title next, no.

Thompson thinks Chandler should wait a little while longer for his shot at McGregorCredit: Getty

“This is a big payout for him and like a legacy fight for Chandler.

“But I would love to see this fight happen, man. Come on, make this fight happen.

“And I want to see Conor McGregor fight again too.

“So, for both of those guys I would wait – if I was Chandler I would wait to fight Conor, and not anybody else.”

Chandler is willing to wait a little while longer to finally get his hands on McGregor but he’s also thinking about who he can face if the blockbuster showdown falls through again.

Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, and Dustin Poirier are the five men currently on his UFC hitlist.