Conor McGregor details 'very tough' UFC 303 injury withdrawal, 'confident' in future return

Conor McGregor is “in good spirits” after being forced to withdraw from a fight for the first time in his UFC career against Michael Chandler at UFC 303.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was expected to return to competition after nearly three years against Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in the June 29 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but then he sustained an injury that led to his withdrawal and a complete overhaul of the event.

There was an attempt to keep the fight and date together after McGregor picked up the injury (which still hasn’t been specified), but ultimately he could not recover in time to perform. “The Notorious” confirmed as much during his first statement on the situation Saturday, and said the difficult decision to call it off was made collectively with his team and the UFC brass (via X):

Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout. I picked up an injury prior to the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC,… pic.twitter.com/ACNnbvr27p

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 15, 2024

Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout. I picked up an injury prior to the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me. The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC, and my team. My fans and opponent deserve me at my best for this fight and we will get there! Thank you for the messages of support, I am in good spirits and confident I’ll be back!

McGregor, 35, did not reveal a timeline for when the matchup with Chandler, 38, could be rescheduled.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.