Alarm bells started ringing the other week when Conor McGregor was filmed partying at 2:15AM just weeks out from his big UFC 303 return, and as the date draws nearer (June 29) it seems increasingly likely that the fight will be cancelled altogether.
Conor McGregor is set to take on Michael Chandler in the main event of the card, but in the last 48 hours, the following things have happened:
- UFC 303 press conference in Dublin on Monday was cancelled with no reason offered as to why
- UFC 303 no longer being advertised on PPV
- UFC privated Conor McGregor free fight videos they posted on YouTube a few days ago
- Conor McGregor and Dana White have been silent
- Michael Chandler is posting self-help quotes on Instagram
- Michael Chandler has left his training camp
The fact that Dana White and the UFC are yet to comment would indicate that there’s still a teeny, tiny hope that the fight is happening. It would be pretty outrageous for them to already have decided that McGregor Vs Chandler isn’t happening, and to not let fans know as they continue to buy tickets/book hotels etc to Vegas on June 29.
Maybe they’re just waiting till they can book a blockbuster replacement fight to soften the blow of the cancellation? It would have to be something pretty huge to replace the Conor McGregor comeback fight, that’s for sure.
It’s very possible that the fight will be officially cancelled by the time you read this, or maybe there’ll be a miracle and Dana White will confirm that it’s 100% on. We can hope that maybe McGregor has had an injury scare or something that turns out to be OK, although maybe he’s just been too busy partying and living the Mac Life to train properly. Now that would be disappointing, if not completely surprising.
The person you have to feel most sorry for is Michael Chandler, who has been looking forward to this fight for a long time. Chandler has been waiting for a fight against McGregor since being tapped out by Dustin Poirier over 18 months ago! What better way to reintroduce yourself than by ruining Conor McGregor’s comeback party?
In the likelihood of a worst case scenario, maybe the fight can be rearranged for next year rather than not happen at all. Hopefully the UFC will let us know soon.
To watch Conor McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal rehearse the final fight scene for Road House, click HERE. Pretty awesome.
