(Story updated June 8, 2024)
Is Conor McGregor still fighting Michael Chandler at UFC 303? That is the question after a scheduled June 3 press conference was suddenly called off.
Both McGregor and Chandler were set to attend the press conference at 3Arena in Dublin to promote their UFC 303 main event on June 29 in Las Vegas. Officially, the UFC announced that it had “postponed” the press conference about 12 hours before it was set to begin, with uncertainty surrounding McGregor as the reason.
With the fight just a few weeks away, it remains on – but the status feels tenuous. Here’s what we know about the situation surrounding McGregor vs. Chandler.
June 3: McGregor issues statement, apologizes
Any doubt that McGregor was the reason for the press conference cancellation was erased after the former two-division UFC champion issued a statement in which he attributed the sudden turn of events to “a series of obstacles” outside his control. What that means exactly is anybody’s guess as McGregor wasn’t specific about whether the reason was related to injury, his contract or something else.
In consultation with the UFC, todays press conference was cancelled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control. I apologize to my Irish fans, and fans around the world, for the inconvenience and appreciate all your passion and support. I can’t wait to put on the greatest…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 3, 2024
June 3: Chandler invokes MLK in cryptic message
Reports surfaced that Chandler was on his way to the airport to catch a flight for Dublin when he received a call from the UFC that the press conference was canceled.
About 30 minutes after McGregor issued his statement, we heard from Chandler, who used a motivational quote from Martin Luther King Jr. to convey his feelings on X.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King Jr. #UFC303
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Walk On.
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See you at the top!
June 4: Chandler leaves training camp
In another potential bad sign about the fight not happening, Chandler revealed on Instagram that he was leaving his camp in South Florida to head back home to Tennessee.
June 5: ‘Great positivity’ McGregor vs. Chandler still happens
On Wednesday’s episode of “The MMA Hour,” host Ariel Helwani – who is close to McGregor’s camp – reported that things are trending in the right direction.
“The vibes on Sunday were quite confused. The vibes on Monday were quite pessimistic, and there was anxiety,” Helwani said. “… I can tell you as of last night and as of today – this morning, early afternoon, it’s currently 1:10 p.m. ET – I can tell you there is great positivity that this fight is going forward.”
While Helwani didn’t report a specific reason for the cancellation of the press conference, he ruled out that it was caused by “nothing illegal, nothing salacious, no PED use, no partying, none of that.”
Ariel Helwani says there is "great positivity, great optimism" regarding the #UFC303 main event.
"Is Conor McGregor going to fight Michael Chandler on June 29? My answer is yes. As of right now. Do I know what happens tomorrow? No."
▶️ https://t.co/dsNMiCLCdy #TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/sV8tpeEIo7
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 5, 2024
June 5: McGregor injury confirmed?
McGregor later posted a photo at the doctor’s office, leaning back shirtless in joggers with a smile on his face, adding more fuel to injury speculation.
June 6: McGregor shares sparring footage
On Instagram, McGregor posted 10 different clips of sparring sessions with the caption, “Getting better as I go go goatsy!”
In the footage, McGregor is working on multiple aspects of his game, including MMA training with clinch work, kicks, and punching and traditional boxing sparring with headgear. The recency of the footage is unclear.
June 7: UFC releases UFC 303 preview video
If McGregor isn’t fighting at UFC 303, no one told the UFC’s social media and video team. The promotion put out a preview video on YouTube on Friday – the lengthy kind shown when you’re told “Let’s take a closer look at the two men involved in the main event …” As far as promotion goes, it seems to be business as usual three weeks out.
June 7: Chandler says fight is happening
Chandler seemed to admit the optics aren’t good, but told The Pivot podcast that the fight still is happening.
🚨Michael Chandler confirms his fight against Conor McGregor is ON and also talks about the cancellation of the Dublin press conference
🎥YT/ The Pivot Podcast @thepivot #UFC303 #UFC pic.twitter.com/YzJngJB9Y9
— FightCrack (@FightCrack) June 7, 2024
June 11: Pessimissm rises
Tuesday, Helwani reports that feelers of replacements for the main event are being put out by the promotion.
“In short, there seems to pessimism all over again regarding the status of the 303 main event,” Helwani wrote on X. “Actually even more pessimism – it seems – than on Monday last week after the presser was cancelled at the last minute.”
Latest on UFC 303:
Around this time last week, all the anxiety surrounding the UFC 303 main event seemed to start to dissipate. By Wednesday, no more feelers about replacements were being sent out. All systems seemed to be a go (again). Later in the week, Chandler did an…
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 11, 2024
This post will be updated as new developments unfold.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
