Many were looking forward to the fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. However, on Thursday it was announced the UFC 303 bout had been postponed after McGregor suffered an injury at camp. Now, the former champ-champ has released a statement regarding the situation.

Conor McGregor claims he suffered the injury before the initial press conference that was also canceled. His doctors suggested he take more time off to heal. However, McGregor makes no mention of what the injury actually is.

“Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout. I picked up an injury prior to the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC, and my team. My fans and opponent deserve me at my best for this fight and we will get there! Thank you for the messages of support, I am in good spirits and confident I'll be back!”

It's an unfortunate situation all around with fight fans being left hanging once again. Conor McGregor has to get healthy though and he likely would not have performed to his fullest had he participated in UFC 303. Additionally, this has to be annoying for Michael Chandler, who has been incredibly patient throughout this process.

Hopefully, the injury isn't too serious but it is odd that it's still unknown what injury Conor McGregor sustained. Usually, that's reported with the injury announcement. So, we'll see if Dana White and the UFC ever share what exactly McGregor is dealing with.

As of now, there is no replacement fighter for Michael Chandler to face off against at UFC 303. However, it was announced that light heavyweights, Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka will take over as the main event on June 29.

Article Continues Below

UFC 303 outlook without Conor McGregor

Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka
© Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

With McGregor out of the picture, UFC 303 is going to look quite a bit different. Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka will now headline the main card as the two will face off for the light heavyweight title. Additionally, Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes steps up into the co-main spot. Both bouts have the potential to be the Fight of the Year.

The other three fights on the main card include light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Carlos Ulberg, which should be a fun bout overall. There is also a matchup in the women's bantamweight between Mayra Bueno Silva and Macy Chiasson. But the main card of UFC 303 opens up with a banger between middleweights Joe Pyfer and Marc-André Barriault.

There is still plenty of excitement surrounding this card even with Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler not participating. Make sure to tune into UFC 303 on Saturday, June 29. The prelims can be viewed on ESPN while the main card will be on PPV on ESPN+.