Michael Chandler all but confirms Conor McGregor fight is off
Conor McGregor is due to make his UFC comeback against Michael Chandler on June 29, but the fight is in doubt after the press conference in Dublin was postponed.
Michael Chandler has provided the strongest hint yet that his highly-anticipated UFC bout with Conor McGregor might be off the cards; The 38-year-old has left his training camp ahead of the scheduled clash.
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The MMA world is abuzz with speculation as McGregor's return to the octagon against Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas now appears uncertain. The pair were set for a promotional face-off in Dublin on Monday night, but the event was axed abruptly just 12 hours prior, with no explanation provided.
ESPN, which partners with UFC for broadcasts in the States, has conspicuously scrubbed the UFC 303 pay-per-view adverts from their site. And Chandler, who usually trains in South Florida, has jetted back to his Tennessee home, cryptically noting on social media: "If you're looking for me, I'll be out in Tennessee. No way out of the life we chose."
Notably absent from Chandler's latest social media update was the UFC 303 hashtag staple in his previous posts. McGregor, the ex-champ across two UFC divisions, has been sidelined since a leg injury sustained in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier three years ago.
Meanwhile, Chandler has been angling for a McGregor fight since his submission loss to Poirier over a year and a half ago. The McGregor-Chandler match-up was made public last February, with UFC President Dana White confirming the date after UFC 300 last month.
While there's no official word on cancellation, the future of this blockbuster fight is now shrouded in mystery, leaving fans wondering if it will be rescheduled or if a new opponent will step in.
Alexander Volkanovski, the former UFC world champion once in the same league as Conor McGregor, has boldly offered to swoop in and rescue the upcoming event if necessary.
Speaking to Submission Radio, he declared, "Nothing is booked at the moment, I'm coming over to Thailand to get that training in because I wanted to go over and there and start stepping things up," adding fuel to the speculative fires about McGregor's next moves.
"Maybe it's come at a good time, you are hearing all these whispers about what is going on with all of this talk with Conor McGregor. Maybe they need a late-notice replacement again. I'm always keen to throw my hand up, so you heard it here first. Maybe if something happens, I'm right in."