Let’s begin by flashing again to the early hours of Monday, June 3. Per week and a half in the past, whereas quite a lot of MMA followers had been nestled of their beds, dreaming of one-punch knockouts and rear-naked chokes, the UFC introduced {that a} scheduled pre-fight press convention involving scheduled headliners Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler for the June 29 UFC 303 was postponed lower than 12 hours earlier than it was to begin in Dublin, Eire.
On the time, no motive was given as to why the press convention was referred to as off, solely that it was indefinitely postponed. With time marching on, hypothesis ran rampant on the standing of the originally-scheduled major occasion. By June 5, Ariel Helwani talked about that there was “nice optimism” that the UFC 303 major occasion from T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas would nonetheless occur on schedule.
So, How Did We Get to This Level?
Throughout the week, all of the optimistic momentum that the UFC had in regards to the McGregor vs. Chandler battle happening as initially marketed vanished. On June 11, Helwani took to social media once more to share a regarding replace in regards to the headliner of the UFC’s first pay-per-view of the summer time.
Newest on UFC 303:
Round this time final week, all of the nervousness surrounding the UFC 303 major occasion appeared to begin to dissipate. By Wednesday, no extra feelers about replacements had been being despatched out. All programs gave the impression to be a go (once more). Later within the week, Chandler did an…
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 11, 2024
By Thursday night time, as PFL 4 was occurring in Uncasville, CT, the information was made official by UFC CEO Dana White: The deliberate McGregor vs. Chandler tilt was off for June 29. McGregor might be unable to make the stroll as a consequence of an damage.
All hope will not be misplaced for Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler to ultimately make the stroll. An effort to rebook the postponed UFC 303 major occasion afterward in the summertime is being made. Helwani talked about in a put up on X that “The Infamous’” damage occurred previous to the postponed press convention.
Ideas on McGregor/ Chandler Postponement
The UFC had been constructing as much as this for the final two months and to lose the battle two weeks out is little doubt an unlucky end result for each single fan of aggressive violence who’s waited the higher a part of two years to see McGregor again in motion once more. Nevertheless, with McGregor being injured within the run-up to the pre-fight press convention, why wasn’t the promotion extra trustworthy with followers that this deliberate major occasion wasn’t going to occur?
If that they had completed this in a press launch earlier this week or late final week as an alternative of ready so long as they did earlier than formally saying the competition could be delayed, it could have been a lot better. Doing one thing like that is how the UFC loses followers.
When an expert sports activities group, be it a team-competitive league or a fight sports activities promotion, loses followers, particularly longtime followers, these supporters could by no means come again once more. Whether or not or not McGregor and Chandler placed on a present at The Sphere in Vegas or even when McGregor fights once more stays to be seen.
Mild Heavyweight Championship Rematch in New UFC 303 Foremost Occasion
That mentioned, they’ve saved UFC 303 from being a dud. Subsequent to the indefinite postponement of the Conor McGregor/ Michael Chandler battle, a rematch pitting Alex “Poatan” Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Jiri Prochazka (30-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) on June 29 was introduced as the brand new headlining bout in two weeks’ time. At stake: Pereira’s UFC Mild Heavyweight Championship.
They simply fought each other final November throughout the UFC’s annual journey to Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis for the UFC 295 major occasion. That fall night in The Large Apple, Pereira bested the previous RIZIN Mild Heavyweight Champion by means of first-round knockout.
Each males fought and received by knockout throughout the landmark UFC 300 on the aforementioned T-Cellular Area in Las Vegas on April 13 of this yr. Pereira defended his strap with a first-round stoppage of Jamahal Hill (12-2-1 MMA, 6-2, 1 NC UFC) within the UFC 300 major occasion, whereas Prochazka completed Aleksandr Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in spherical two.
It’s a Win-Win State of affairs
On the core, the restructured UFC 303 major occasion is a superb end result throughout for everybody concerned with the promotion. Any time you could get a flagship fight sports activities card headlined by a championship battle, you’re in for a very good night time of motion.
Had the UFC 303 major occasion remained Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, with no championship at stake, it wouldn’t have been pretty much as good. Whereas McGregor is a family title, at this level in his skilled life, he’s not focused on actively chasing championships.
McGregor’s tilt in opposition to Chandler, if and when it does occur, is a cash battle. Pereira/ Prochazka is the superior battle in comparison with what might have been seen in two weeks.
Closing Ideas
Anybody who’s contemplating not shopping for UFC 303 forward of June 28 must cease and take into consideration the choice they’re making. That is a tremendous battle developing.
