Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the octagon has been postponed, with his bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 no longer taking place. Just a fortnight before the fight was scheduled to happen, Dana White revealed that the Irish fighter had sustained an injury, forcing him to withdraw from the main event.
In McGregor’s absence, the new main event at UFC 303 will feature Alex Pereira taking on Jiří Prochazka for the light heavyweight title. The co-main event will showcase former featherweight champion Brian Ortega going up against the up-and-coming Diego Lopes. The sudden cancellation of McGregor vs. Chandler follows the recent cancellation of a press conference, hinting at potential issues surrounding the fight.
McGregor’s comeback at UFC 303 was meant to mark his return to the octagon following his defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021, where he suffered a broken tibia. The severity of McGregor’s current injury remains uncertain. Since claiming the lightweight championship from Eddie Alvarez in 2016 and becoming the first UFC fighter to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously, McGregor has only fought in the octagon four times.
It is unclear when McGregor’s fight with Chandler will be rescheduled, leaving fans eagerly awaiting news of the new date for the much-anticipated matchup.