It is extremely difficult for me to miss my planned return fight. I sustained an injury prior to the press conference and have needed more time than I had time to recover. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly and was made in consultation with my doctors, UFC, … pic.twitter.com/ACNnbvr27p
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA)
June 15, 2024
Conor McGregor’s absence from mixed martial arts will now last more than three years, but the Irishman remains optimistic about his future.
The former two-division champion made a statement on Saturday about his withdrawal from UFC 303’s main event bout against Michael Chandler. The June 29 welterweight bout was supposed to be McGregor’s first appearance in the Octagon since suffering a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
“It is extremely tough to miss my planned return fight,” McGregor wrote on social media. “I sustained an injury prior to the press conference and have needed more time than I had time to recover. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly and was made in consultation with my doctors, UFC and team. My fans and opponent will be expecting my best in this fight and we will get there! Thank you for all the messages of support. I am healthy and confident I will be back!”
The exact cause of McGregor’s injury is unknown. Speculation that the UFC 303 main event was in jeopardy began when the aforementioned Dublin press conference was canceled less than 24 hours before the event. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani initially reported that the UFC 303 main event could have gone ahead as planned, but it was ultimately determined that McGregor would not be healthy enough to be back for International Fight Week.
As a result, Chandler has also been removed from the card. The bout will be rescheduled for a later date, though it’s unclear when exactly. Chandler also recently took to social media to respond to the cancellation.
“[Conor McGregor] He was never the safe guy, he was always the riskiest guy. Maybe the highest reward, but also the biggest opportunity. There is no right or wrong in business. You only take risks to grow or to get comfortable with the status quo. Embrace uncertainty, look for opportunities, and take calculated risks. That’s what I’m talking about. [Michael Chandler] “I will,” said a statement issued by Chandler in conjunction with sponsor MegaFitMeals.
“And if things don’t go as planned… let’s pivot into something even greater. Salute to the man who represents martial arts more than anyone we know. No fear. No limitations. No excuses. Just work hard. And who cares who’s on the other side of the punch?”
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas-based promotion managed to pull the plug on its pay-per-view draw for UFC 303 at short notice. A light heavyweight championship rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka was announced as the new main event, and a featherweight showdown between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopez was also added to the card. Additionally, Anthony Smith will step in to replace the injured Jahamar Gil and take on Carlos Ulberg in a 205-pound pairing.
