Conor McGregor has been ruled out of the UFC 303 event scheduled for June 29 in Las Vegas due to an injury. He was supposed to be the main event.
UFC President Dana White announced this change on Thursday night via X, stating that light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will now face the top contender Jiri Prochazka.
McGregor was originally set to fight Michael Chandler, the number six ranked lightweight contender. The first hint of trouble for this fight came when a press conference scheduled for June 3 in Dublin was suddenly cancelled without any immediate explanation.
Dana White did not provide details about the nature of McGregor’s injury.
‘Conor McGregor is out of 303 vs Michael Chandler with an injury,’ White stated on social media.
‘The new main event is Alex Pereira, the former UFC middleweight champion and the first fighter to hold titles in both middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions in UFC history. He achieved this in a record time of 736 days and seven fights.
Pereira has a strong finishing record, with seven of his nine wins coming by knockout. He has won 10 of his last 11 fights. He will now face former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, who boasts an impressive 23 first-round wins and a 97 per cent finish rate, with 25 knockouts and three submissions in his career.’
Jamahal Hill has also withdrawn from his fight with Carlos Ulberg. Anthony Smith will now face Carlos Ulberg, and Brian Ortega will fight Diego Lopes in the co-main event.
McGregor’s withdrawal is a significant setback for the UFC, as he remains a major draw despite not competing in the octagon for three years. Although at 35 he is past his peak, he still attracts considerable attention.
The UFC is currently in a transitional phase, with big stars like McGregor, Jon Jones, and Amanda Nunes either nearing retirement or already retired.
The organization is relying on a younger generation of fighters to build their fan base and lead the sport forward.
Marcus Bellamy