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A good chunk of MMA enthusiasts have been looking forward to UFC 303, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 29. Not only is there a star-studded card on the horizon, but the event also marks Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon following a three-year absence as he’s set to face Michael Chandler in the main event.
Or, at least he was supposed to.
Fans are now concerned that the UFC 303 headlining act is in jeopardy after a pre-fight press conference was canceled earlier this week.
What does the cancelation mean for the upcoming pay-per-view? Will we still get McGregor vs. Chandler? Or will the show go on without its original main event?
Here’s what we know about the UFC 303 situation.
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UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler Press Conference Canceled
As mentioned before, the UFC was supposed to hold a press conference in Ireland to hype up this month’s McGregor vs. Chandler showdown. The event was slated to go down at the 3Arena in Dublin on Monday, however, company officials canceled the conference just hours before it was supposed to happen.
It wasn’t long before McGregor released a statement aimed towards his Irish fans, expressing his disappointment.
“In consultation with the UFC, today’s press conference was canceled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control,” McGregor wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday afternoon. “I apologize to my Irish fans, and fans around the world, for the inconvenience and appreciate all your passion and support. I can’t wait to put on the greatest all-time show in the Octagon.”
It didn’t take long for social media to try and dissect McGregor’s statement. What exactly could be out of the UFC’s control that would lead to the canceled conference?
Things took a turn on Tuesday when ESPN took down the link to order UFC 303 from its site. Chandler took to Instagram shortly after that, sharing a cryptic post about how if anyone is looking for him, he’ll be in Tennessee (where he lives).
That’s a long way from both Ireland and Las Vegas.
UFC prospect Paul Hughes told Irish MMA reporter Andy Stevenson that he ran into Chandler earlier this week and that the former lightweight title challenger “didn’t really know what was going on” with the situation. If the issue was on Chandler’s end, you’d think that he would have given Hughes a more concrete answer.
We haven’t received any major updates since then, so it looks like the UFC 303 main event is still up in the air.
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So, is McGregor vs. Chandler Canceled?
While there are plenty of questions surrounding the planned UFC 303 main event, there still hasn’t been an official announcement on its status.
Having said that, I wouldn’t be shocked if McGregor vs. Chandler is officially canceled in the coming days. The UFC wouldn’t just cancel a major press conference out of the blue if there wasn’t something serious going on. If it was a minor issue and all systems were go, we’d likely have an answer by now.
Instead, McGregor is apologizing to fans while Chandler has no clue what’s going on. It’s beginning to look like something is wrong on McGregor’s end and Dana White is busy searching for a replacement opponent. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has reported that the UFC has “sent out feelers to see who might be able to fill in, either as a replacement or an entirely new fight at the top of the bill.”
Who will Michael Chandler be fighting at UFC 303?
Assuming that Helwani is on to something, it’s best to keep expectations low for McGregor vs. Chandler. With everything that’s happened thus far, there’s a good chance that we won’t get to see these icons colliding in Sin City.
With UFC 303 being just 24 days away, expect a replacement solution to be announced shortly.
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UFC 303: McGregor vs Chandler Information & FAQ
When is UFC 303?
- UFC 303 will take place on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
Where is UFC 303?
- UFC 303 airs live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
What time does UFC 303 start?
- UFC 303 Early Prelims Start Time: 6 p.m. ET
- UFC 303 Preliminary Card Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
- UFC 303 Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. ET
How to Watch UFC 303
- UFC 303 Early Prelims Channel: ESPN+, ESPN
- UFC 303 Preliminary Card Channel: ESPN+, PPV
- UFC 303 Main Card Channel: ESPN+, PPV
How to Bet on UFC 303
- All of the top online sports betting sites will have UFC 303 odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for UFC betting enthusiasts.
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