Conor McGregor addresses postponement of UFC press conference with Michael Chandler
Fight fans were left confused after Monday’s press conference in Dublin was postponed. Connor McGregor has now given some insight as to why that was.
With June 29th set as the date for UFC 303 and the event slated to see the iconic Irishman take on Michael Chandler, everything seemed to be right in the fight world, but following an abrupt postponement of the press conference, puzzling photos of McGregor and family dancing on social media, and an apparent failure on UFC CEO Dana White’s part to inform the public that the press conference would be postponed, we’ve now got ourselves an interesting situation.
What has Connor McGregor said about the press conference’s postponement?
While there has been no official word that it won’t happen, UFC fans have been left scratching their heads after the press conference between Connor McGregor and Michael Chandler was postponed. The 35-year-old Irishman is set to return to the ring for the first time since breaking his leg in a match that he lost by TKO to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 back in 2021. As for the fight with Chandler, it will be a five-round welterweight bout which represents a step up in class for McGregor who previously won championships as both a featherweight and lightweight.
On Monday, McGregor took to social media where he addressed the question that everybody has wanted to see answered. Yet, it’s worth noting that as much as he apologized for the uncertainty surrounding the fight, he gave no allusion to the ‘why’. ”In consultation with the UFC, today’s press conference was canceled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control,” said McGregor’s statement. “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 all-time show in the Octagon.”
OK, but is McGregor vs Chandler still happening?
With all manner of speculation surrounding the reasons why the press conference was postponed, MMA insider Ariel Helwani sought to quell some of the unrest by reassuring fans that there is in fact nothing out of order, though he did acknowledge the disappointment of many fans including Chandler himself who wanted the opportunity to promote the fight and himself.
“The fight’s still on. As of right this minute, the fight’s still on,” Helwani said during the latest episode of his show, ‘The MMA Hour.’ “I just want everyone to know there’s no sort of scandalous, salacious story at play here. The full story, hopefully, will come out in the future. I can tell you right now with 100% certainty, confirmation that there is nothing salacious,” he added. “There is nothing scandalous. There is no failed drug test. There’s nothing of that sort. Things pop up. So let’s see how this story plays out.” *You can see further details in the clip below as well as a continuation of Helwani’s take here and a third clip here.*
As for McGregor, he is of course one of the biggest stars in UFC history, though he has only fought four times since lifting the UFC lightweight belt in 2016 when he defeated Eddie Alvarez. Indeed, the last time we saw the Irishman was during an exhibition boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. With his return to the octagon seemingly still on, this most recent occurrence will only serve to increase the anticipation ahead of UFC 303, something even Dana White himself has addressed, explaining that the event is expected to generate more than $20 million in revenue from ticket sales which would be the biggest in the organization’s history.