The main event of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 303 has been canceled due to an injury.
Dana White, President of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), posted a video on X, confirming that McGregor was “out” of the fight due to an injury, but he did not specify what the injury was or how it was sustained.
Chandler posted on social media that fighting McGregor was “always the highest risk” and that the fight also could have provided not just “the highest reward… but the biggest opportunity.”
“And if it doesn’t go as planned… redirect the course to something even more great,” he added in a joint post with MegaFit Meals.
The fight’s cancellation was not unexpected, following a decision to cancel a press conference last week. According to Bleacher Report, the UFC began a search for a replacement event shortly after the scheduled press conference did not take place.
McGregor last fought in July 2021 against Dustin Poirier. During the bout, according to ESPN, McGregor suffered a TKO loss due to a broken leg.
The main event at UFC 303 has now been replaced with a fight between Alex Pereira and Jiří Prochazka for the light heavyweight title.
Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour reported shortly before the official cancellation announcement that there were early discussions about Chandler taking on another fighter. However, “nothing made sense,” and the sides opted to reschedule the fight.
White’s update on the McGregor fight also included an announcement about a new co-main event: a battle between former featherweight champion Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes.
The previous co-main event between Jamahal Hill and Carlos Ulberg was also adjusted due to an undisclosed injury sustained by Hill, with Ulberg now set to match up against Anthony Smith.