Conor McGregor (22-6) scheduled to headline the event but has withdrawn because of injury. The fight with Michael Chandler is off for UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White said Thursday night.
The new main event is a light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka, according to White.
Breaking: Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will no longer headline #UFC303, Dana White announced. pic.twitter.com/gcITqhO3R1
— ESPN (@espn) June 14, 2024
McGregor, 35, set to return to competition for the first time since he suffered a broken leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The former featherweight and lightweight champion has only fought four times since a blockbuster boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. Without a doubt UFC fans are itching for McGregor’s return.
The June fight being called off disappoints fans worldwide. In what has become something of a saga between McGregor and Chandler. Chandler, a former champion in Bellator MMA, first called out Conor McGregor in earnest in 2022. UFC announced the two would coach against each other on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series in early 2023. Which went ahead as scheduled that spring. A fight date did not come together until early this year, however, for various reasons.
The sellout event was on pace to set a UFC record with a live gate of more than $20 million. UFC has not announced the rescheduling of the nontitle welterweight bout between McGregor and Chandler.
Pereira to save the day
Pereira is no stranger in jumping in and headlining a main event. Recently he headlined UFC 300 vs Jamahal Hill where he made short work of him and KO’d him in the first round. It’s safe money to bet that Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka will be explosive and wont end up going the distance. Despite ‘The Notorious’ not fighting, fans are still in for a good card.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
