Conor McGregor was set to make his highly anticipated return to the UFC octagon this Saturday at UFC 303 in Las Vegas, where he was scheduled to headline the event against Michael Chandler. However, a broken toe has forced the former two-division champion to withdraw from the fight.
In a tweet on the eve of the event, McGregor admitted to being in “deep pain” watching the International Fight Week festivities unfold without him. He expressed gratitude for the messages of support and encouragement he has received from his peers and fans.
I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t in deep pain right now watching fight week take place. Deep mental pain. Thank you for the messages of support and encouragement, my peers and fans ❤️🙏☘️
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 28, 2024
The matchup between McGregor and Chandler has not yet been rescheduled, but the UFC star hopes to compete again in August or September. When he does make his return to the octagon, it will be his first fight in over three years, since suffering a gruesome leg injury in his TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
With McGregor sidelined, the main event of UFC 303 will now feature a rematch for the light heavyweight title between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. While the former two-division champion can only watch the festivities from afar, his absence is undoubtedly a disappointment for both him and his legion of fans who were eagerly anticipating his comeback.
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