Dana White reveals that Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler has already broken a UFC record
UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that Conor McGregor's upcoming clash against Michael Chandler has already accrued the biggest gate in promotional history. The pair are scheduled to face off at UFC 303 on June 29, and the hype ahead of fight night is already enormous.
The Irishman has not competed since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July, 2021. But after completing his rehabilitation on the injury, McGregor featured alongside Chandler as respective coaches for season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, which aired from May 30 - August 15, 2023.
After months of anticipation, their fight was officially announced by White during the post-UFC 300 press conference. Following the conclusion of UFC St. Louis on May 11, the promotion's CEO appeared in front of the media. He revealed that the McGregor vs. Chandler card had already secured a gate of over $20 million, the first time the promotion had ever achieved a gate of that size.
He said this:
"It's already way over $20 million."
Watch Dana White's interview below from 3:30:
'The Notorious' was expected to face Chandler in 2023, but according to White, McGregor's obligations surrounding the Road House movie forced the fight to be pushed to this year.
Dana White confirms the promotion's plan to move out of the UFC Apex Center this year
The UFC Apex Center largely saved the promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were fortunate enough to be able to host fights at the venue from as early as May 2020.
However, the promotion has continued to use the crowdless-arena until today, and their decision to do so has been heavily criticized by fans, who began expressing their frustration last year.
There were suggestions that the UFC's deal with ESPN was the main reason why the promotion sought to schedule fights at the Apex Center so frequently, as the contract stated that the UFC needed to host a certain amount of shows per year.
Following UFC St. Louis, which took place on May 11, White appeared in front of the media, where he shed light on the future of the Apex Center, saying this:
"I've been saying this for a long time, we've got to get out of the Apex and start doing more events in all these different cities. We're getting it done this year." [2:55-3:05 in Dana White's aforementioned interview]