What's the latest update on Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 303? Taking a closer look at the fight timeline
Speculation has abounded that the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight, a welterweight bout that is to headline UFC 303 (June 29, 2024), could be in jeopardy.
Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion McGregor's most recent professional combat sports contest was a lightweight MMA bout, a trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 (July 2021). 'The Notorious' lost to Poirier via first-round TKO after suffering a gruesome leg injury.
On the other hand, Chandler last fought in a lightweight bout against Poirier at UFC 281 (Nov. 2022). 'Iron' lost the fight via third-round submission and hasn't competed since, instead pursuing a fight against McGregor. Today, we briefly revisit a timeline of events related to the much-awaited McGregor-Chandler fight.
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler — a long time in the making
Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler's maiden UFC fight came at UFC 257 (Jan. 2021), an event headlined by the Dustin Poirier-Conor McGregor rematch. 'Iron' made his UFC debut in style by dominantly defeating Dan Hooker via first-round TKO at the event.
Chandler had consistently suggested that he was in the UFC for a good time, not necessarily a long time, and had indicated his desire to fight UFC icons such as Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov retired in Oct. 2020, and though widespread rumors of his return persisted in the ensuing months, he never returned. Ergo, Chandler couldn't accomplish his objective of fighting 'The Eagle.' That said, the American MMA stalwart did compete for the vacant UFC lightweight title, losing to Charles Olveira via second-round TKO in May 2021.
Chandler then lost to Justin Gaethje via unanimous decision in Nov. 2021, but he bounced back with a second-round KO victory over Tony Ferguson in May 2022. During his post-fight octagon interview after besting Ferguson, 'Iron' roared into the microphone and called out Conor McGregor. The Irishman seemingly obliged. All in all, a strong foundation was laid for a potential McGregor-Chandler fight.
Nevertheless, given the nature of the injury Conor McGregor sustained in July 2021, many believed that a 2022 comeback would be unfeasible for him. That hypothesis proved true, as McGregor didn't return in 2022 and was instead busy filming for his Hollywood debut, 'Road House,' a movie that was eventually released in March 2024.
TUF 31 filming and the rest of 2023
While 2022 didn't witness Conor McGregor's return, Chandler competed twice that year, beating Tony Ferguson in May and losing to Dustin Poirier in November. Besides, in 2023, McGregor and Chandler came face to face as rival coaches on Season 31 of the UFC's 'The Ultimate Fighter' (TUF) reality show. It was filmed in early 2023 and aired from May 30 to Aug. 15, 2023.
Since TUF coaches generally fight at the end of the season, McGregor and Chandler's clash was expected at the end of TUF 31 in 2023. Well, that wasn't to be. Additionally, toward the end of 2023, McGregor was at odds with the UFC's then-drug testing partner, USADA. The latter organization insinuated that the UFC icon was likely utilizing banned PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs).
McGregor vehemently denied any kind of PED use, and UFC CEO Dana White notably indicated that the UFC-USADA partnership was set to end in Dec. 2023. White lambasted the organization for the way they handled their imminent split from the UFC, and he shot down their accusatory allusions against 'The Notorious.'
Be that as it may, the Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler fight, which was expected to take place in 2023, ended up getting postponed to the next year.
Conor McGregor's New Year's Eve video and post-UFC 300 official announcement
On the occasion of New Year's Eve, starting the 2024 calendar year, Conor McGregor posted a fight announcement video to his social media handles. McGregor asserted that he'd be fighting Michael Chandler in a middleweight bout in Las Vegas during the UFC's International Fight Week on June 29, 2024. Regardless, the UFC didn't officially announce it.
In the ensuing months, fans implored the UFC to make an official announcement about McGregor's comeback. UFC head honcho Dana White consistently maintained that they were working toward booking McGregor's return fight. At the post-fight press conference of the landmark UFC 300 (April 2024) event, White officially announced the McGregor-Chandler fight.
As opposed to McGregor's middleweight claim on New Year's Eve, White emphasized that the McGregor-Chandler matchup would be contested at welterweight. Their fight is booked to headline UFC 303, which will take place on June 29, 2024.
UFC 303 Dublin press conference cancellation and current status
The UFC announced a special promotional press conference in Conor McGregor's native Dublin, Ireland, in relation to the upcoming UFC 303 event. It was to feature both McGregor and Michael Chandler at the 3Arena in Dublin on June 3, 2024. However, the press conference was canceled — postponed until further notice — just hours before it was to begin.
The cancellation generated a wave of concern among fans, as rumors swirled that the fight might be postponed yet again, or perhaps canceled altogether. Reports suggested that McGregor suffered an injury, which has jeopardized the matchup. McGregor put forth a tweet, wherein he apologized to the fans for the canceled presser.
The 35-year-old ambiguously noted that a series of obstacles outside of his control caused the cancellation. Meanwhile, Michael Chandler was similarly equivocal. Chandler put forth a tweet, referencing a Martin Luther King quote, underscoring that one has to persevere through challenging times.
Moreover, in an Instagram post on June 4, 2024, 'Iron' seemingly departed from Kill Cliff FC in Florida and returned home to Tennessee, which made some ponder whether the fight's fallen apart.
Furthermore, the very next day (i.e., June 5, 2024), Ariel Helwani addressed the turbulence surrounding the matchup and reported that there was "great positivity and optimism." Helwani implied that things were tense on Sunday (June 2) and Monday (June 3), adding the matchup eventually appeared back on track.
Helwani underlined that there were no PED, partying incidents, or any other controversial reasons behind the presser cancellation and signs were positive that the fight will go ahead at UFC 303. The same day, Conor McGregor made an Instagram post of himself at what appeared to be an orthopedic's office. McGregor then posted sparring footage of himself on Instagram the next day.
Furthermore, the UFC released the UFC 303 fight promo on June 7, 2024. On the same day, a clip of Chandler on The Pivot Podcast featured him as optimistic about the fight happening, albeit he did acknowledge that the recent rumors regarding it do cast a shadow of doubt as to whether the fight will come to be.
Fast-forward to June 11, 2024, and Ariel Helwani signaled that since morning, there's been renewed uncertainty and "feelers" were being sent out for a possible replacement and/or new matchups for UFC 303. Helwani tweeted that the pessimism was worse than it was after the presser cancellation earlier this month.
Helwani's tweet has precipitated pandemonium, with fans worrying whether this means the fight won't happen at UFC 303. Presently, the UFC hasn't issued any official statement on the same, but fans can expect additional details to unravel soon.