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The highly anticipated fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 on June 29 is reportedly in danger of being postponed.
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani said on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour that there is a clear lack of certainty over whether McGregor and Chandler will meet in the Octagon as currently scheduled.
“The positivity that I talked about exactly one week ago from today is nowhere to be found,” Helwani said. “I would say this fight is very much in limbo. I would say that it’s hanging on, and I would say the UFC is working very, very hard right now to figure out a plan B.”
Helwani’s assessment on Wednesday echoes the update he provided on Tuesday on social media when he reported that “there seems to [be] pessimism all over again regarding the status of the 303 main event.” He added that “since this morning, multiple sources are now saying feelers are being sent out again for June 29” for “replacement and/or new fight(s).”
It was just last week that Helwani reported on The MMA Hour that there was “great positivity” and “great optimism” regarding the status of the UFC 303 main event following previous speculation that the fight was in jeopardy. When the UFC canceled a press conference scheduled for last Monday in Dublin, Ireland, it sounded alarms that McGregor’s return to the Octagon would be delayed.
The Irishman hasn’t fought in nearly three years, last competing in July 2021 when he suffered a broken leg in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. Despite being away for so long, McGregor remains the biggest star in the company, and fans were excited to see him finally face Chandler this month.
McGregor and Chandler have been expected to fight since filming a season of The Ultimate Fighter reality competition series in early 2023. Delays in scheduling and McGregor’s acting commitment in the feature film Road House caused him and Chandler to have to wait nearly a year and a half after filming TUF to finally have a fight date.
McGregor vs. Chandler was set to headline the UFC’s annual International Fight Week, which is one of the biggest yearly events for the company. If the fight needs to be replaced, it will take a monumental matchup to appease fans who were hoping to finally see McGregor back in the Octagon.
