Conor McGregor Michael Chandler UFC 303 card injury

Conor McGregor's UFC return delayed due to injury, fight against Michael Chandler scrapped for UFC 303 main event. New match announced.

Conor McGregor's highly anticipated return to the octagon has been put on hold. The UFC recently announced that his scheduled fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in Las Vegas on June 29 has been canceled due to an injury.

Instead, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will now defend his belt against Jiri Prochazka in the new main event, as revealed by UFC CEO Dana White in a social media video. This news comes as a disappointment to fans who were eagerly awaiting McGregor's comeback since his last fight in July 2021, where he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

The defeat was compounded by a broken tibia in McGregor's left leg, which required surgery and months of recovery, leaving him unable to compete further. Despite his storied career as a former featherweight and lightweight champion, McGregor has struggled in recent years, with only one win in nearly eight years - a first-round TKO victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

Known for his larger-than-life personality and incredible fighting skills, McGregor is undeniably the biggest superstar in MMA history. He has headlined the top five highest-selling pay-per-view events in UFC history, including his clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, which garnered 2.4 million purchases.

In addition to his MMA success, McGregor also ventured into boxing, facing off against Floyd Mayweather in a highly publicized bout in 2017 that generated a record-breaking 4.3 million PPV buys. As for Chandler, a former UFC lightweight title contender and Bellator champion, he has been eager to face McGregor and has received post-fight bonuses in four out of his five UFC fights.

The future of the McGregor-Chandler matchup remains uncertain, with no confirmation on whether it will be rescheduled. Fans will have to wait patiently for updates on McGregor's return to the octagon and his next potential opponent.