Conor McGregor is scheduled to face Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 (Photo By Thomas … [+]
The rollercoaster ride that is the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight in the main event spot of the upcoming UFC 303 pay-per-view card took another plummet today with reports that the UFC is once again looking for a replacement for McGregor for the fast-approaching June 29 fight card.
In May, UFC CEO Dana White announced that the gate for UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler would set a UFC record at $20 million. The promotion, looking to bolster interest in the scrap, also arranged a press conference for June 3 at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Tickets for that event were quickly scooped up by fans hoping to hear McGregor’s return to the dais in his home country. However, on the morning of that press conference, the UFC announced its abrupt cancellation.
That was the first sign that something was amiss with the event. That Chandler had been ready to fly to Dublin when the news broke, the speculation was that something was wrong on the McGregor side of the equation.
Silence from the UFC followed that announcement.
A few days after the sudden cancellation of the UFC 303 press conference, Ariel Helwani reported some positive news on the McGregor vs. Chandler fight.
“I can tell you as of last night, as of today, I can tell you there is great positivity that this fight is going forward,” Helwani said on The MMA Hour. If you’re asking me right now if Conor McGregor is going to fight Michael Chandler on June 29? My answer is yes. As of right now, yes. Do I know what happens tomorrow? No.”
Helwani lifted spirits with that news. A week later, he crushed those spirits.
On today’s edition of The MMA Hour, Helwani said, “On Monday of last week, I would say optimism level was not very high. There was some concern, there was some doubt, and there were roadblocks. I came on this show on Wednesday and said optimism was high. There was great positivity, all those words I used. It felt like we had dodged a bullet, it felt like we had turned a corner.
“On Tuesday, I reported that the UFC was sending out feelers, they were reaching out to fighters and managers to see who could possibly be available to either replace the fight — meaning two new fighters — or step in and replace one of the fighters involved to fight on this card. Obviously the fighter we’re talking about is Conor McGregor, because if not, why would Chandler be ready to go on a plane to Dublin?
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 03: (L-R) Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler face off during the filming … [+]
“So I said that it seemed we were all good, and by Wednesday, no feelers were being thrown out, no one was talking about this, really. It seemed as though all systems were a go.
“Yesterday morning I started to hear — as I continued to check in because I know there’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of doubt, a lot of concern about this because it’s such a big fight and because no one involved are speaking about this publicly, Chandler did the one interview and I think that squashed some concern, but no one is really talking about this — and I found out, via multiple sources, that they are reaching out to people again. They are reaching out to managers, they are reaching out to fighters, as potential replacements, as a new fight, as backups, as someone stepping in for McGregor, or just as insurance. Just in case. All these things are in play.
“One step further, here we are, Wednesday, 1:15, the positivity that I talked about exactly one week ago today is nowhere to be found. I would say this fight is very much in limbo. I would say it’s hanging on and the UFC is working very, very hard right now to figure out a Plan B. The Plan B could be someone stepping in to fight Chandler, the Plan C could be a whole new fight.”
Why Is the UFC Being Quiet on UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler?
The biggest reason the UFC might be silent on the main event of UFC 303 is because they themselves are unsure of what is happening.
McGregor has never pulled out of a fight. Even when he had the chance to do so, he shrugged and took a short-notice opponent. The feeling is that if McGregor can make it to fight night he will, even if it is a last-minute decision. It would not be a surprise to see the UFC give McGregor and his camp that amount of leeway.
Another reason the UFC could be silent is that losing the main event of UFC 303 could open the promotion up to giving refunds.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission rules say that if a main event of a combat sports card falls through, refunds must be offered. It’s hard to believe the UFC would welcome giving those refunds. With that in mind, the UFC could either be looking to replace McGregor vs. Chandler with a blockbuster main event that will dissuade fans from looking for their money back or waiting until the last minute to see if McGregor can compete.
If one wants some positive news, the UFC is still taking pre-orders for the pay-per-view and still posting preview videos on its YouTube page:
Why Waiting on News on McGregor vs. Chandler is Bad
If this were any other UFC pay-per-view main event we wouldn’t be involved in this kind of hand-wringing. The UFC has lost main events before and fans generally handle that news well. The difference this time is Conor McGregor. He is the biggest name in the sport and fans are going to be travelling internationally for this event.
That travel, when you add in the price of tickets and Las Vegas accommodations, those fans who failed to invest in refundable travel and rooms will be out a lot of money. The UFC is causing those fans a lot of anxiety and worry, something I wrote about previously.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
The only thing fans can do at this now is wait and hope for the best. That McGregor vs. Chandler is a little over two weeks away and we have not heard anything official from the UFC, either positive or negative, is worrisome.
However, if we know one thing about Dana White it is that he doesn’t like or trust “the media.” With that in mind, when an announcement is made it will come from White and it will likely include the message that one should never trust anyone but the UFC when it comes to breaking news about any fight card. That is, if the main event of UFC 303 goes on as scheduled.
Right now, that if is is what most fans are worried about.
UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler is scheduled to take place on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
*I reached out to the UFC for an update on news about UFC 303. The promotion did not reply prior to publication.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 10: Conor McGregor of Ireland walks in the octagon before his lightweight … [+]