MMA fans were disappointed when the return of Conor McGregor to the octagon was delayed once again. Slated to fight Michael Chandler as the headliner of UFC 303, it was announced earlier in June that the fight was called off.
It was revealed that an injury to Conor McGregor was the reason things had to be put on hold again. On Friday, the megastar said what the injury was. In a post shared to his Instagram, it was revealed that he suffered a broken toe.
“Man we were so f—ing super ready for this fight it is absolutely gut wrenching to take,” McGregor posted on Instagram. “… We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean. It needs a few weeks that’s it. I couldn’t just justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk hindered again.”
Needing to save the UFC 303 card, Dana White booked a light heavyweight title match between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. This is the second time this duo will save a card, as they faced off for the first time at UFC 295 in place of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
No makeup date for the bout between Conor McGregor and Chandler has been announced. It has been a long time since each of them was in the octagon as they coached against each other in the Ultimate Fighter last year.
The last time we saw Conor McGregor was when he broke his leg in July 2021 against Dustin Poirier, taking a TKO loss. Chandler last fought in November 2022, in large part because he has been waiting to fight the Irishman.
This was the first time that Conor McGregor has had to pull out of a fight for any reason. He took to social media saying that a bout against Chandler would likely still happen, as this is the money fight for his opponent.
While there is likely some hyperbole there, this is the biggest fight Chandler can book. It will be interesting to see if he looks to get back in the cage so he can be active again or wait for a makeup date.
“I will get this back,” Conor McGregor wrote. “I’ve got [to]. I’ve got two fights left on my contract. I’ve got Bugattis and more yachts on my mind. I’m coming to shine. I gotta just take my time … See ya’s soon. See ya at the top. Chandler or not.”
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