The status of Monday’s canceled UFC 303 press conference in Dublin remains unclear, but at least for now, it doesn’t appear to have any impact on the upcoming bout between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.
McGregor released a statement regarding the cancellation via social media on Monday afternoon. While it didn’t explicitly state why the event was called off, the Irish star suggested he was still looking forward to fighting at UFC 303.
“After consulting with UFC, today’s press conference has been cancelled due to a series of obstacles beyond our control,” McGregor wrote on X. “I apologise to my fans in Ireland and around the world for any inconvenience caused and I thank you all for your passion and support. I can’t wait to put on the greatest show ever in the Octagon.”
After consulting with UFC, today’s press conference has been cancelled due to a series of obstacles beyond our control. We apologise to our fans in Ireland and around the world for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your passion and support. We can’t wait to bring you a great fight…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA)
June 3, 2024
The press conference was scheduled to take place at noon ET/9 a.m. PST at the 3Arena in Dublin. Admission was free, but the ticketed event was reportedly sold out in anticipation of McGregor’s first major media appearance in his home country in a long time. UFC initially announced the press conference had been postponed to Sunday night, but it is unclear if it will be rescheduled in the coming weeks.
UFC CEO Dana White revealed that he was scheduled to fly to Dublin to meet with McGregor on Sunday after UFC 302, while Chandler reportedly only found out about the cancellation before boarding his flight to the Irish capital.
McGregor and Chandler served as match coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” last year, but their bout has been repeatedly postponed since the end of the reality show. McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, and Chandler has not fought since losing to Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022.
UFC 303 will take place on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with McGregor vs. Chandler set to be the five-round welterweight main event.
