Conor McGregor UFC 303 News: Rumors & Updates for Michael Chandler Fight

All of the news, rumors, and updates around Conor McGregor's return at UFC 303.

January 18, 2020; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With only a few weeks to go until Conor McGregor’s expected return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, MMA KO is here to keep you posted on all the breaking news around the card and its highly-anticipated main event.

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Set to take place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena to cap off International Fight Week in Las Vegas, UFC 303 will take place just shy of three years after McGregor’s last appearance in the Octagon at UFC 264.

A matchup between McGregor and his opposing The Ultimate Fighter coach Michael Chandler unfortunately failed to come together last year before it was finally booked for UFC 303, but the sudden decision to cancel a press conference in Dublin sent the MMA rumor mill into a tailspin as fans questioned whether or not the fight was in jeopardy.

Conor McGregor

“The Notorious” has already apologized to fans for the cancellation and cited “a series of obstacles outside of our control” regarding the UFC’s decision. The promotion apparently still intends to reschedule the press conference, but the chances of that happening will only decrease as we get closer to June 29.

The aftermath of the press conference cancellation saw McGregor make a number of non-fighting related posts on his Instagram that included a picture of him looking relaxed in a doctor’s office, and most recently the former two-division champion shared a number of training clips that are presumably from his ongoing camp for UFC 303.

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A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma)

A now-deleted Instagram story from McGregor on June 12 featured an early-career clip of the former-two division champion discussing how he avoids injuries in training, and the accompanying emojis on the video have led fans to speculate he may have sustained an injury that has caused all the concern around UFC 303.

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Michael Chandler

Chandler reportedly was on his way to the airport before being informed the Dublin press conference was cancelled, and he only fueled fan concern around the McGregor fight after he included a few somewhat cryptic captions to go along with his usual training photos and footage.

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A post shared by Michael Chandler (@mikechandlermma)

The former Bellator champion later provided fans with their most concrete update since the press conference fell through when he appeared on The Pivot Podcast and cleared the air on things.

“The fight’s happening. Obviously where we are right now – yeah, there’s a lot of speculation. But the fight is on. June 29th, it’s happening.”

- Michael Chandler via The Pivot Podcast

Dana White & The UFC

One of the most concerning parts of the commotion around UFC 303 is how silent the promotion and its CEO Dana White have been on the issue, which wasn't helped by the fact that ESPN+ briefly stopped offering the option to pre-order the event.

Jul 9, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor is greeted by UFC president Dana White during weigh ins for UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

As of June 5, Ariel Helwani reported during The MMA Hour that there is “great positivity” around the idea that McGregor vs. Chandler will take place as scheduled, and Helwani also reiterated that no “drama” (such as an anti-doping violation or legal issues) had forced the unexpected press conference cancellation.

Chandler's update on The Pivot Podcast appeared to put fan concerns to rest, but another update from Helwani on June 11 indicated that "feelers" are once again being sent out by the UFC regarding potential replacement opponents or matchups for the UFC 303 main event. The "great positivity" previously reported regarding McGregor vs. Chandler has also been replaced by "even more pessimism" than in the immediate aftermath of the cancelled press conference.

A further update from Helwani on June 13 indicated that both a new main and co-main event fight for UFC 303 are "lined up", and that those fights will be announced alongside a new date for McGregor vs. Chandler once that has been finalized.

Be sure to check back here with MMA KO for any breaking news and important updates surrounding UFC 303 and the return of “The Notorious”.

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