Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC Octagon will likely have to wait.
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported that the cancellation of McGregor’s bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 is “a formality at this point.”
“It’s not 100 percent off, but I would be very surprised if it remains at this point. They are in active negotiations with multiple camps to find a replacement,” Helwani said. Post to X“Everything is still up in the air, but they are proceeding as if they need a replacement at this point.”
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Conor McGregor is at ringside before the heavyweight bout between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou at the Boulevard Hall on October 28, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The issue at issue is McGregor, 35, who hinted at a possible injury in an Instagram story on Wednesday night.
The story was an old clip of him discussing his injury at UFC and included sad face and praying hands emojis.
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Rumours were also circulating that a press conference in Dublin on June 3 had been cancelled just hours before it was scheduled to take place, with no reason given by UFC.
It is unclear when McGregor sustained the injury, but he was recently spotted dancing with his fiancée in Ireland and appeared to be in good health at the time.
Conor McGregor prepares to fight Dustin Poirier at the UFC 264 event on July 10, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
McGregor’s return to the Octagon has been eagerly awaited by the UFC world. He was last seen fighting Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor broke his shin during the bout and has not returned for three years.
It remains to be seen whether UFC CEO Dana White will be able to find a replacement for the main event if McGregor is officially unavailable. Some have suggested Max Holloway, but his social media accounts say he is in Japan.
Finding a replacement will be difficult with UFC 303 just two weeks away. Plus, the big attraction of the card was McGregor’s return, so even if a replacement is found, it probably won’t have the same appeal.
Conor McGregor poses inside the ring at the O2 Arena in London on August 12, 2023. (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
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McGregor still wants to fight, despite all his business commitments outside the Octagon, but it doesn’t look like this hiatus will be ending anytime soon.
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