Conor McGregor Out Of UFC 303 Because Of Undisclosed Injury
Jun 14, 2024, 9:48 AM
Conor McGregor of Ireland walks in the octagon before his lightweight bought against :Dustin Poirier during UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Conor McGregor, long the face of the UFC, is injured and out of the upcoming pay-per-view event June 29 in Las Vegas that he was scheduled to headline.
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Conor McGregor out of UFC 303
Organization President Dana White announced the change Thursday night on X, saying light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will face top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka in UFC 303.
McGregor was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler, the sixth-ranked lightweight challenger, but the first indication that bout was in trouble was when his news conference June 3 in Dublin was abruptly canceled.
No immediate explanation was provided.
#UFC303 UPDATE 🚨 https://t.co/pX2d2VItVd
— UFC (@ufc) June 14, 2024
White didn’t elaborate on the nature of McGregor’s injury.
RELATED: Poirier Knocks Out Conor McGregor In 2nd Round At UFC 257
Losing McGregor, who hasn’t competed inside the octagon in three years, is quite a blow to the UFC. At 35, he is past his prime, but remains a strong attraction for gate and pay-per-view sales.
THIS #UFC303 PROMO IS PURE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3jVERAMEbn
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 2, 2024
The UFC is at a crossroads, with stars such as McGregor, Jon Jones and Amanda Nunes either near the end of their careers or having already retired. There is a group of younger fighters still building their fan bases that the UFC is counting on to lead the next generation.
