Fans have taken aim at Conor McGregor and expressed fears he may never fight again after his battle with Michael Chandler was postponed.
The Irishman hasn’t fought in UFC since losing to Dustin Poirier back in July 2021.
McGregor had been due to return to the Octagon on June 29 in Las Vegas. However, Dana White has now confirmed he’s had to delay his return due to ‘injury’.
Conor McGregor has posted his first statement since an injury he suffered during his training camp saw him withdraw from a lightweight fight against Michael Chandler, due to headline the UFC 303 event June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I’ll be back!” He told his millions of followers on Instagram.
Conor McGregor’s 89-Word Statement on Instagram
The former two-weight UFC champ appeared positive that he’ll still return to the sport
The main event for UFC 303 appeared to be in jeopardy when a press conference in Dublin, which for McGregor and fans in his own country would have been a hot ticket event, was canceled in the eleventh hour, sparking intense speculation that the fighter had an undisclosed issue and would not be able to participate in the UFC’s signature event of the summer — a headline bout that concludes International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
McGregor injury puts Alex Pereira in #UFC303 main event
إصابة كونور مكجريجور خارج UFC 303 بسبب إصابة التدريب pic.twitter.com/YMkEocmVgY
— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) June 14, 2024
The UFC confirmed the fight cancelation on Thursday, with news of replacement fights on the card to soften the blow of losing one of the few true superstars in the business. Now, McGregor has posted a statement of his own.
“Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout,” he said Saturday. “I picked up an injury prior to 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 one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC, and my team. My fans and opponent deserve me at my best for this fight and we will get there. Thank you for the messages of support.
Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka will now headline the event instead, with the former hoping to retain his light-heavyweight title.
The new official poster!!! 🏹🏆🥷 #UFC303
البوستر الرسمي الجديد !!! 🏹🏆🥷#UFC303 pic.twitter.com/mFRPJvZtSu
— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) June 15, 2024
Many other fans are happy that Pereira and Prochazka will be headlining the main event, despite McGregor’s withdrawal.
And whether the UFC icon ever fights again remains to be seen, with his clash with Chandler likely to take place in September.
NINE fights in less than THREE years for Alex Pereira 😳The champion remains ACTIVE 😤 #UFC303
تسع معارك في أقل من ثلاث سنوات لأليكس بيريرا 😳البطل لا يزال نشطًا 😤 #UFC303 pic.twitter.com/8yBN6owCDw
— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) June 15, 2024
Even as rumors about McGregor were swirling last week after he pulled out of a UFC 303 news conference, Chandler and the promotion were still out there promoting the fight. That included this very unfortunate fact, and resultant community note, posted hours before McGregor withdrew.
#mmafactoftheday – Amount of times these fighters have pulled out of fights in their entire careers.@TheNotoriousMMA – 0@MikeChandlerMMA – 0#ufc303
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) June 13, 2024
Meanwhile, speaking before it was confirmed McGregor’s return to UFC had been pushed back, former MMA star Chael Sonnen expressed a belief the Irishman would retire if the fight didn’t go ahead as planned.
Speaking earlier this week, he said: “If Conor McGregor doesn’t show up for this, I’m here to let you know any idea you have that he’s still fighting or he’s still in the business or he wasn’t feeling good and they’re doing it another day, or he and Chandler are going to be somewhere down the road – I’m here to let you know now, if you’re told that by anybody, you have been given bad information.
“If McGregor does not show up on June 29 and fight Michael Chandler at 170 pounds, it is the exact same as announcing Conor McGregor’s retirement from the sport.”
During his absence from UFC, McGregor has turned to acting.
He recently appeared in Road House, which has earned positive reviews.
