Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler off UFC 303 card due to injury

Conor McGregor’s go back to the octagon may have to wait.

The UFC introduced Thursday that his combat towards Michael Chandler will now not headline UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas due to injury.

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will protect his belt towards Jiri Prochazka within the new primary tournament, UFC CEO Dana White announced in a video posted on social media.

This would were McGregor’s first bout since July 2021 when he misplaced by the use of first-round TKO to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. McGregor suffered a damaged tibia in his left leg that night time, rendering him not able to additional compete. The injury required surgical operation and months of restoration. 

McGregor, the previous featherweight and light-weight champion, boasts only one win — a first-round TKO of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 — in just about 8 years. 

McGregor, a brash Irishman recognized similarly for his aura outdoor the cage as his talent set in it, is surely the largest celebrity in combined martial arts historical past. He has headlined the 5 best-selling pay-per-view sports activities occasions of all time, together with his matchup with Dagestani superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 that drew 2.4 million purchases.

He additionally fought boxing legend Floyd Mayweather within the ring in August 2017. The spectacle generated 4.3 million PPVs — probably the most ever for a carrying tournament. 

Chandler, a former UFC light-weight name challenger and longtime Bellator champion, has now not competed since November 2022 in hopes of going through McGregor. He is 2-3 in 5 UFC fights however has won post-fight efficiency bonuses in 4 of the ones bouts. 

It is unclear if the matchup might be rescheduled to a later date.