Daniel Cormier fears that Conor McGregor might not make it to UFC 303.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) apologized for canceling his appearance at a pre-fight press conference with Michael Chandler, which was scheduled for Monday at 3Arena in Dublin. The pair are set to headline the June 29 pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena.
The reason for McGregor’s cancellation remains undisclosed, but Cormier believes his fight with Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) could be in jeopardy.
“Start to brace yourself a little bit for disappointment,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news. Dana White will argue and scream at the media. Dana White will give the media a hard time. Dana White has no problem letting the media down. You know who Dana White doesn’t like letting down? The fans. …
“To me, it feels like this is a big deal. I have reached out to many in the organization to try to find out what happened, and when everyone is as tight-lipped as they are right now, to me that tells me it’s a little worrisome.”
Sonnen thinks otherwise. He sees it as a sign that McGregor is fully focused on the fight – and if he’s wrong, he doesn’t see “The Notorious” fighting again.
“If Conor McGregor does not fight Michael Chandler on June 29, which I think he’s going to, (but) if he doesn’t, I would go a step further as to tell you that that will be the announcement of his retirement,” Sonnen said.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.