Conor McGregor released his first public statement since withdrawing from his UFC 303 match with Michael Chandler on Thursday.
The two-time champion provided no details on the injury that forced him to withdraw from the welterweight, non-title bout, only saying that the decision was made in consultation with doctors, the UFC and his representatives.
“Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout,” McGregor posted to social media. “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.”
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
The McGregor-Chandler match was scheduled to be the main event for UFC 303 on June 29. While announcing that McGregor was out of the event, UFC president Dana White announced that the main event will now be the light heavyweight title rematch between champion Alex Pereira and former champ Jiri Procházka.
Speculation over McGregor pulling out of the match with Chandler had circulated since a press conference in Dublin to promote the fight was postponed earlier this month. At the time, MMA reporter Ariel Helwani said on his “The MMA Hour” show that the match would still happen, addressing conspiracy theories and rumors that reasons other than injury, such as a failed drug test, caused the postponement.
In consultation with the UFC, todays press conference was cancelled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control. I apologize to my Irish fans, and fans around the world, for the inconvenience and appreciate all your passion and support. I can’t wait to put on the greatest…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 3, 2024
In a post to social media, McGregor only said that “a series of obstacles” prompted the press conference to be postponed and gave no indication that he would be unable to fight. However, Helwani reported a day later that UFC was looking for a fighter to replace McGregor or a new fight for the main event. He repeated those reports the following week, days before the withdrawal was announced.
On Thursday, Helwani reported that McGregor suffered the unspecified injury a day or two before the press conference was postponed.
McGregor, 35, has not appeared in a match since 2021 when he lost to Dustin Poirier by TKO and broke his leg at UFC 264. He’s fought only four times since winning the UFC lightweight championship from Eddie Alvarez in 2016. McGregor was eventually stripped of the title due to inactivity in 2018.