Conor McGregor fans were sad that “Notorious” withdrew from UFC 303.
Alex Pereira fans, however, were positively delighted. That because McGregor’s absence paved the way for “Poatan” to step up on short notice (again) to fight Jiri Prochazka (again) atop the June 29 pay-per-view (PPV) card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
First round: knockdown. Second round: shadow realm.
Pereira, 36, erased all doubt from his (mildly controversial) finish at UFC 295, planting Prochazka at the end of the opening frame. A wobbly “BJP” answered the bell for the second stanza — only to get planished with a brutal head kick knockout.
And still.
“Left high kick,” McGregor wrote on Twitter, before going completely insane.
Conor McGregor via. X #UFC303 #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/UxssOYcRlc
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 30, 2024
Both tweets were later deleted.
Fan reactions were mixed, with comments ranging from “He fought with a broken toe tonight, what’s your excuse?” to “It should have been you doing that to Chandler!”
Several Pereira fans replied, “Thanks for pulling out so we could watch this!”
McGregor is currently nursing a broken pinky toe and is expected to return at some point later this year, presumably against Michael Chandler. A timeline has yet to be established but the MMA rumor mill has “Notorious” attached to the upcoming Sphere card in September.
As for Pereira (11-2), he’s likely to remain benched until his own broken toe heals up, which could put “Poatan” atop one of the year-end PPV cards. No word yet on his next opponent, but No. 2-ranked Magomed Ankalaev is likely to find himself first in line.
For more UFC 303 results, reactions, and highlight videos click HERE.