Conor McGregor won’t be entering into the Octagon in opposition to Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in Las Vegas.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the bombshell information in the present day that McGregor has needed to pull out attributable to damage, marking the primary time in McGregor’s illustrious UFC profession that he has withdrawn from a struggle for any motive.
Instead of McGregor vs. Chandler, the primary occasion will now function a light-weight heavyweight title bout between Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka.
Earlier than being struck down with an damage, the Irishman had promised followers that his return to the Octagon would mark the start of the “Biggest Comeback in Sports activities Historical past”.
Regardless of the adjustments, the occasion continues to be poised to be a blockbuster. In accordance with White, the sold-out occasion is predicted to set a UFC report with a stay gate exceeding $20 million. It stays unconfirmed whether or not the extremely anticipated nontitle welterweight bout between McGregor and Chandler will probably be rescheduled.
McGregor, now 35, was on the point of making his comeback after struggling a damaged leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The previous featherweight and light-weight champion has solely fought 4 instances since his world-shattering boxing match in opposition to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017, with a report of 1-3 in these bouts, together with two losses to Poirier and a submission defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a 2018 title struggle.
The cancellation of the June struggle provides one other chapter to the continuing saga between McGregor and Chandler.
Chandler, a former Bellator MMA champion, started calling out McGregor again in 2022. The UFC later introduced the 2 would coach in opposition to one another on “The Final Fighter” actuality sequence in early 2023, which proceeded as deliberate that spring.
“McGregor vs. Chandler will probably be re-booked later this yr,” MMA journalist Ariel Helwani wrote on X.
“The struggle has been pushed as a result of McGregor suffered an damage proper earlier than final week’s press convention in Dublin.
“Everybody concerned – the UFC, McGregor, Paradigm – did every thing of their energy to avoid wasting this. It didn’t look good initially, then it didn’t, then it did and at last it didn’t. The plug was formally pulled rather less than 48 hours in the past.
“There weren’t a ton of choices. Pereira x Prochazka was at all times a best choice, feelers had been despatched final week, however there have been hurdles: primarily, Pereira is in Australia on a seminar tour and is getting over a pair damaged toes. However he stepped up. Once more. Prochazka was in instantly.”
Complicating issues was McGregor’s standing with the UFC’s former drug testing accomplice, the USA Anti-Doping Company (USADA). USADA claimed McGregor’s scenario contributed to the tip of its partnership with the UFC, alleging the promotion sought to exempt McGregor from a six-month testing requirement following his leg damage.
The UFC had scheduled a public information convention with McGregor and Chandler on June 3 at Dublin’s 3Arena, however cancelled it simply 12 hours earlier than the occasion, fuelling hypothesis in regards to the struggle’s standing.
He has proven some curiosity in potential fights in opposition to Nate Diaz, who’s at the moment not signed to the UFC, or BMF titleholder Max Holloway.
Moreover, White introduced two new bouts for the cardboard: Diego Lopes will face Brian Ortega within the co-main occasion, and Carlos Ulberg will tackle Anthony Smith in a light-weight heavyweight conflict, after Jamahal Hill, initially scheduled for the co-main occasion, withdrew attributable to damage.
