Conor McGregor is “in good spirits” after being forced to pull out of a fight for the first time in his UFC career against Michael Chandler at UFC 303.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was expected to return to competition after nearly three years against Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in the June 29 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but then he suffered an injury that led to his withdrawal and a complete overhaul of the event.
There was an attempt to keep the fight and date together after McGregor sustained the injury (which has not yet been specified), but ultimately he was unable to recover in time to perform. “The Notorious” confirmed this during his first statement on the situation on Saturday, and said the difficult decision to cancel was made collectively with his team and UFC bosses (via X):
Very difficult to be ruled out of the scheduled return fight. I picked up an injury before the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but rather in consultation with my doctors, the UFC,… pic.twitter.com/ACNNbvr27p
-Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 15, 2024
Very difficult to be ruled out of the scheduled return fight. I picked up an injury before the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but rather in consultation with my doctors, the UFC and my team. My fans and opponent deserve my best for this fight and we will get there! Thank you for the messages of support, I’m in a good mood and confident that I’ll be back!
McGregor, 35, did not reveal a timetable for when the showdown with Chandler, 38, might be rescheduled.
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 303.
