The anticipated showdown between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler has been cancelled for UFC 303 as McGregor has suffered an unidentified injury, according to UFC CEO, Dana White. The dismissal of the prominent Irish MMA competitor also forces his planned opponent, Michael Chandler, to withdraw from the event originally scheduled for 29th June in Las Vegas.
There is ambiguity surrounding whether the non-title duel between McGregor, who holds a 22-6 record, and Chandler, with a 23-8 record, will take place at a later date. The specific details regarding McGregor’s injury are yet to be disclosed publicly.
The publicised press meet for the event, which was due to witness both fighters, was set to occur in Dublin’s Three Arena on June 3rd. However, it was delayed unexpectedly in spite of all public tickets being snapped up swiftly when released on Ticketmaster a week prior.
The spotlight for UFC 303 has now been shifted to the supreme light heavyweight contest between champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Furthermore, there has been a reshuffle in other matches as well. The previous light heavyweight UFC champion, Jamahal Hill, will no longer square off against Carlos Ulberg. The bout will now feature Anthony Smith battling Ulberg. Hill was originally scheduled to face Khalil Rountree Jr., who is currently serving a two-month ban for substance misuse.
The co-main event for UFC 303 will now see featherweights Diego Lopes and Brian Ortega go head to head.
McGregor, 35, a Dublin local, was gearing up for his inaugural fight since his defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021 due to a leg injury. His last victory was against Donald Cerrone in January 2020, which had come on the heels of a loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
Michael Chandler, a native of Missouri and currently based in Florida, has a struggle of his own, with three losses out of his last four matches. He was last seen in the ring in a losing match against Poirier in November 2022.
In the previous summer, both McGregor and Chandler assumed roles as head coaches on UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter reality series where nascent fighters compete against each other to bag a contract with the UFC – Reuters.
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