Ariel Helwani says "no great drama" behind cancellation of UFC 303 press conference in Dublin: "There is no salacious story"
Ariel Helwani recently explained the reasoning behind the cancellation of the UFC 303 press conference in Dublin, Ireland. The promotion was scheduled to hold a press conference today featuring Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler to build up the pay-per-view scheduled for later this month.
Last night, it was reported that the press conference had been postponed and cancelled, however, there was no reason given. The cancellation resulted in many fans speculating on a number of potential scenarios, including a drug test failure, legal issues, and a potential injury.
During today's episode of The MMA Hour, the Canadian journalist began by reporting what he had been told from his sources. Helwani mentioned that there was no incident that resulted in the cancellation and that the fight appears to still be headlining UFC 303. He said:
"There is no salacious story. There is no great drama. There is no great theater. There's no story, nothing gonna come out...Nothing of that sort...I can tell you that the press conference was postponed today due to an issue that has precluded it from happening. And so, the question now is A, are they going to pick a new day? And of course on everyone's mind is will this affect June 29th?...As of this second...June 29th is still on."
Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below:
Ariel Helwani discusses Michael Chandler's potential reaction to the UFC 303 press conference cancellation
Ariel Helwani discussed the UFC 303 press conference cancellation in Dublin, Ireland and noted that he believes Michael Chandler was likely disappointed.
The Canadian journalist brought up the Conor McGregor bout at UFC 303 will be the biggest payday of 'Iron's career. He mentioned that Chandler is likely hoping that he gets to June 29 with no other hurdles in the way. He said:
"I can't even imagine how Michael Chandler is feeling because [he] has been sitting on this [McGregor] fight for well over a year and he's probably staring at the days like a guy in prison just like counting them off, just praying to get to June 29th. Cause just think about the legacy...the money...the purse...the sponsorship...Everything that is at play and that can be gained by just making it to the fight and then the aftermath."
Check out the full episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani below: