The highly anticipated Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight, initially set for UFC 303 on June 29, has been officially cancelled.
The bout, which was to be a showdown between the recent Ultimate Fighter 31 coaches, was scrapped following the cancellation of a pre-fight press conference, sparking immediate speculation about the fight’s status. McGregor’s withdrawal due to injury has now been confirmed, pulling the match from the card.
In a swift turn of events, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira will step in to defend his title against Jiri Prochazka in a rematch, headlining International Fight Week 2024. This comes after a turbulent lead-up that saw McGregor issue a statement attributing the press conference cancellation to “a series of obstacles outside of our control”.
You can watch Dana White’s announcement below:
UFC 303 International Fight Week June 29th pic.twitter.com/P47PSsKcg0
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 14, 2024
Despite brief optimism that the McGregor-Chandler fight might proceed, the UFC prepared for a possible cancellation. McGregor, who has not fought since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021, will not be returning to the Octagon this June. Chandler, who has been waiting on the sidelines since 2022 for this high-profile match, faces an extended absence from competition.
McGregor recently took a shot at UFC 302, main evented by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier for the UFC Lightweight Championship, drawing 500,000 pay-per-view buys. He tweeted:
“500k ppv buys 302 done. A nothing burger.”
After McGregor pulled out of UFC 303, Dustin took a shot at him by tweeting:
“#NothingBurger”
The new main event will see Pereira defend his light heavyweight title against Prochazka. Pereira, a former Middleweight Champion, has been dominant at 205 pounds, claiming the title with a knockout over Prochazka in 2023 and defending it with a finish of Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. Prochazka, looking to avenge his previous loss, comes into the fight following a second-round knockout of Aleksandar Rakic at the same UFC 300 event.
In addition to the new main event, the co-main event has also seen changes. Jamahal Hill has been removed from the card due to a knee injury, and featherweights Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes will now fill the co-main event slot. Hill’s original opponent, Carlos Ulberg, remains on the card and will face Anthony Smith, who steps in on short notice.
With these significant adjustments, UFC 303 promises to deliver an exciting night of fights, culminating in the much-anticipated rematch between Pereira and Prochazka on June 29.
New Video: Former UFC Star Paige VanZant Without Clothes:
