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UFC star Michael Chandler doesn’t want his fans’ pity after a blockbuster fight with Conor McGregor fell through. “Got the rug pulled out from underneath me…
UFC star Michael Chandler doesn’t want his fans’ pity after a blockbuster fight with Conor McGregor fell through. “Got the rug pulled out from underneath me…
Conor McGregor is sporting a new look following his sudden withdrawal from UFC 303. On June 29, the Irish…
Conor McGregor is sporting a new look following his sudden withdrawal from UFC 303.
On June 29, the Irish megastar was scheduled to step back inside the Octagon for the first time in nearly three years for a welterweight clash with former Bellator MMA champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. Sadly, that fight is no more after McGregor bowed out due to an undisclosed injury, giving UFC fans a brand new main event for International Fight Week.
With no work to do in the gym, McGregor is spending Father’s Day with his family and sporting a new look, as seen via a series of new pics shared on the former two-division champ’s Instagram.
It’s certainly not the first time ‘Mystic Mac’ has gone with the shaved head look, though we may have a few questions about his choice of eyewear.
Though the UFC has not made any official announcements, rumors persist that the promotion is looking to rebook McGregor vs. Chandler for some time in August or September.
In the meantime, fans will be treated to a massive light heavyweight title tilt as reigning champion Alex Pereira steps into the main event on 16 days’ notice to run back his November 2023 showdown with former titleholder Jiri Prochazka.
In addition to Pereira vs. Prochazka 2, fans will also see the return of Brian Ortega as the former title challenger takes on rising contender Diego Lopes. Also added to the card was 205-pound staple Anthony ‘Lionheart Smith who meets Carlos Ulberg after his original opponent, Jamahal Hill, withdrew due to injury.
Henry Cejudo is looking at the bright side of Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from UFC 303. After nearly three years…
Henry Cejudo is looking at the bright side of Conor McGregor’s withdrawal from UFC 303.
After nearly three years on the shelf, the Irish megastar was scheduled to make his long-awaited return to the Octagon on June 29 for a five-round welterweight clash with former Bellator champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. Sadly, that is no longer the case after McGregor reportedly sustained an undisclosed injury, forcing him to bow out of the bout.
UFC fans were understandably disappointed by the news, but ‘Triple C’ believes there is a silver lining to the otherwise unfortunate turn of events.
“Let me put it to you this way Kamaru, the fact that Conor McGregor has to pull out is actually a really good sign… Now what do I mean by that is he’s probably killing a little bit of his ego and now he’s taking it a lot more seriously than ever,” Cejudo said on his Pound-4-Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman.
“It’s also an experience for him, so the way that I’m taking it too is that they’re going to fight, but he’s at that point where ‘I want to make sure I’m 100%, like this comeback to me is [finally] real.’”
Usman echoed a similar sentiment in response, telling Cejudo:
“There’s no such thing as 100%, as fighters we always go in there with bumps and bruises but obviously, you’re right.
“It’s significant enough for Conor McGregor to say ‘You know what, I want to put out the best possible product out there for all the fans who have been waiting for my return, I want to put out the best me that I can – so I have to push this back because I am not able to give that right now.
“For him to say ‘Imma sit for a little bit, I’m going to push this back, and just prepare myself a little bit more’; it does say a lot, I agree with you.”
Not long after Cejudo and Usman offered their unique take on the situation, McGregor broke his silence, releasing a statement regarding his withdrawal.
Though no details about the injury itself have been revealed, reports suggest that it was minor enough for the UFC to start looking at dates in either August or September to reschedule the scrap.
Instead of McGregor vs. Chandler, UFC 303 will be headlined by a light heavyweight championship rematch as current titleholder Alex Pereira put his gold on the line against Jiri Prochazka in a sequel to their November 2023 showdown. Both men took the fight on just 16 days’ notice with ‘Poatan’ recently offering fans a chance to see the exact moment he was asked to step in and save the day.
For the second time in 2024, Alex Pereira will save the day. On Saturday, June 29, ‘Poatan’ will step…
For the second time in 2024, Alex Pereira will save the day.
On Saturday, June 29, ‘Poatan’ will step back inside the Octagon to headline UFC 303. There, he will put his light heavyweight title on the line against the division’s No. 1 ranked contender, Jiri Prochazka, in a rematch of their November 2023 clash that saw Pereira claim the vacated belt via a second-round KO.
Their 205-pound clash was announced a mere 16 days ahead of fight night after the event’s original main event, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, was scrapped after the Irish megastar sustained an undisclosed injury while training.
On his YouTube channel, Pereira released footage of him taking the call from the UFC, showing both his and his team’s immediate reaction to the offer.
Pereira most recently competed at UFC 300 in April, closing out the show with a stunning first-round knockout against ex-champion Jamahal Hill. ‘Poatan’ later revealed that he had broken a toe in the weeks leading up to fight night and had sustained yet another foot injury during the actual bout.
Still, that didn’t stop him from lobbying for a main event slot at UFC 301.
Next on Pereira’s agenda is going two-up on one of MMA’s most chaotic strikers, Jiri Prochazka. ‘BJP’ climbed back into the No. 1 contender’s spot with an impressive come-from-behind knockout of Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 300, a few short hours before ‘Poatan’ turned ‘Sweet Dreams’ into a meme.
Confirming he has suffered an undisclosed injury just weeks before his UFC 303 return, Conor McGregor has received some…
Confirming he has suffered an undisclosed injury just weeks before his UFC 303 return, Conor McGregor has received some well wishes from former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler – who still vows to chase a fight with the Dublin veteran.
McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight gold holder, has been sidelined for three years after fracturing a left tibia and fibula against common-foe, Dustin Poirier.
And forced offically from his return at UFC 303 later this month during International Fight Week, McGregor confirmed he had suffered an injury – which is still yet to be disclosed, however, confirmed his optimism of finally making good on a return to the Octagon.
“Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout,” Conor McGregor posted on his official Instagram account. “I picked up an injury prior to the press conference that required more time 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 weill get there!” Conor McGregor continued. “Thank you for the messages of support, I am in good spirits and confident I’ll be back!”
And replying to McGregor’s statement confirming an injury ruled him from UFC 303, Missouri veteran, Chandler wished the ex-champion well, before noting his interest in facing him in the future still.
“No hard feelings,” Michael Chandler posted on his official X account. “Heal up. My heart is full. See you soon.”
Himself out of action for the last two weeks, former Bellator MMA lightweight champion, Chandler suffered a third round rear-naked choke submission loss to Poirier at Madison Square Garden.
Do you expect to see Conor McGregor fight Michael Chandler this year?
UFC 303 is without Conor McGregor’s return. But is the replacement fight possibly an even better headliner?
Earlier this week, the dreaded news regarding UFC 303 that many MMA fans long anticipated finally went public: Dana White took to social media and announced that the return of Conor McGregor—the most popular name in the sport’s history—would have to wait.
In its place at UFC 303 came a fight between UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former titleholder Jiri Prochazka, a pair of nasty finishers who have gained a reputation for putting on entertaining performances.
No matter how long the promotion delayed its announcement of the canceled bout for UFC 303, and no matter what was revealed in its place, the change would be a disaster for the promotion business-wise and would upset many. A McGregor fight can be without a title circumstance, a big rivalry, or even much momentum in the star’s sails and still be a massive live gate and pay-per-view hit. The mainstream pull of “The Notorious” is hard to match or replicate, hence why a return fight for him not even in his regular weight class earned the main event slot in one of the promotion’s biggest shows of the year.
All of a sudden, one of the biggest events of the year for the promotion became simply just another card in the schedule for many. But should those tuning out maybe stick around instead? Maybe. While UFC 303 isn’t a stellar card and certainly not in the running for one of the biggest shows of the year, it’s way better than it was before. Let’s look at where it was before, where it is now, and why the change due to circumstances actually wasn’t that bad for fans.
It’s undeniable how big of a name McGregor is. If you asked the average person who they associate with MMA, McGregor is likely one of the first fighters to be mentioned. His buzz is massive and justifies why he gets placed in so many big fights. But there’s a reality to face about his matchup against Michael Chandler: While it is a bout that was expected to receive lots of hype, it isn’t a particularly stellar fight.
There are many factors that make McGregor’s return less intriguing that his previous outings. He’s coming off a pair of losses, both that came via finish against Dustin Poirier in 2021. He’s moving up to 170, a weight class he has only briefly flirted with in the past. He’s also coming off the longest layoff of his career, now set to stretch past the three-year mark. The 35-year-old isn’t getting any younger and certainly isn’t close to a title opportunity at the moment, or even if he put away Chandler. These quick-hit facts illustrate what type of a fight this was.
Now let’s be clear: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to watch a fighter who isn’t the best in the world. MMA, like any sport, is entertainment at the end of the day. Success through competition isn’t the sole factor that sells fights, and often is the least important thing when it comes to getting the public’s attention. But even the other side of the fight against Chandler, the promotion, hasn’t brought up the bout’s value much either.
McGregor will always get attention for his over-the-top and at times too-much personality, and that doesn’t change no matter who he faces. But realistically, the most attention was on him when he had not just a dance partner in the cage, but on the mic. The way McGregor would prod and poke at folks like Floyd Mayweather, Nate Diaz, Eddie Alvarez and others became big parts of their fight promotion.
Yet, there really hasn’t been much of that with McGregor and Chandler thus far. While the fighters never got their official media tour underway—with a press conference date in Dublin, Ireland being cancelled roughly two weeks back—this fight has essentially been kicked around as an idea by both fighters for more than a year.
Chandler has been jerked around by McGregor since early 2023, with the bout being delayed and the former Bellator champ going months on end without a paycheck. Through the online mind games, a season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and more, the former Bellator champ hasn’t taken the bait that the Irishman has thrown out. He has instead been patient and diplomatic, two words that are never used when describing why a fight is appetizing.
What does a fight between McGregor and Chandler have? Besides the legacy hype that will follow McGregor for maybe the rest of his life, there is not much. Little meaning in its division, either fighter’s careers or even the general MMA zeitgeist. It’s not a bad fight and certainly would be more popular than the average PPV card. Apart from the public excitement to see McGregor compete, there’s little that the fight brings to the table. Some might see the show as not worth watching now that he’s off. But, let’s compare it to what we now have and see if that’s a fair assessment.
It’s hard to argue against the idea that Alex Pereira is one of the most exciting names in MMA at the moment. In just a few years he has gone from a veteran kickboxer with just a few fights in MMA, to a two-time champion who is trying to carve out the first era at light heavyweight since the end of Jon Jones’ reign.
Pereira has a style that is hard for viewers to not get behind, being an all-action striker. The damaging blows he mastered in kickboxing means that he has yet to go the distance through five championship fights. Just one of his UFC wins didn’t come via finish, and the others provided highlight-reel moments.
Something about Pereira’s current run that feels really special. It’s not just the moments that he’s creating, but the frequency at which they have emerged. UFC 303 will be his ninth appearance since his late 2021 promotional debut. He has stepped up on some of the promotion’s biggest stages: Three different Madison Square Garden cards, the huge UFC 300 PPV, and now International Fight Week. There are a lot of interesting things going on in MMA, like the dominance of Islam Makhachev and the rise of Sean O’Malley. But few have been as present in the promotion’s biggest spots over the past few years as Pereira. Because of his current run, the Brazilian champ feels more must-see than ever.
There’s also some solid storytelling behind a rematch between Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. On paper, it seems like there’s no reason for them to meet once again, especially so soon. The first time they fought, Pereira scored a second-round finish due to strikes. But if you go back and watch the fight, you may remember that there was somewhat of a discourse around an early stoppage. It wasn’t a full-on controversy, but Prochazka did mention his belief that the fight should have gone a little longer. If the promotion wants a little extra something to lean on when pushing the fight, they should focus on that.
Pereira is a brutal striker, and Prochazka fights with a kill-or-be-killed style. Both have hardly been seen in a dull moment since joining the UFC. It’s a stellar fight and one that doesn’t really need to be sold to the diehard fans who know what to expect.
The new UFC 303 main event isn’t perfect. If there’s one glaring criticism of the matchup, it’s that the fighters have just a little over two weeks to prepare for a five-round booking. The fact that we will know both Prochazka and Pereira will enter the bout less prepared than they usually are does take something away from the bout.
For Prochazka, an unsuccessful result in the fight will definitely sting. The Czech fighter might look back on the bout with regret if he loses: “Did I waste my potentially only opportunity at avenging a loss to Pereira on a booking that I had little time to prepare for?” he might think. The short-notice opportunity certainly hurts him more than Pereira, who could probably petition for a trilogy fight between them if he comes out with a loss.
The talk-heavy promo style and the long MMA history that McGregor brings into fights won’t be carried into Las Vegas when Pereira and Prochakza meet. Instead, a clash between two fan-friendly talents who are much easier to associate with the current MMA moment that we’re living in will fight. A fighter who has dominated headlines in two divisions, and one of his rivals who has the motivation to avenge a previous loss. It’s not ideal business for UFC, who will likely miss out on millions without McGregor’s presence. But when looking through the lens of a fan, it’s hard to scoff at the new headliner.
Are you more or less excited for UFC 303 later this month?