Conor McGregor issues first statement since UFC 303 withdrawal: ‘My fans and opponent deserve me at my best’

Conor McGregor had never pulled out of a UFC fight before so withdrawing from UFC 303 later this month due to injury was not a decision “Notorious” took lightly.

While McGregor has been plotting his return to the Octagon for almost three full years, his scheduled bout opposite Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the promotion’s International Fight Week, will not go on as planned. McGregor picked up an unfortunate injury about two weeks ago that will prevent him from competing.

The news is a major blow to an event that already had a $20 million gate. It’s an especially big blow to McGregor, who hasn’t competed since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, and Chandler, who has waited nearly two years to get his hands on the Irish superstar.

Needless to say, McGregor and all involved were disappointed with what transpired this past week. All parties tried to keep the fight on, but eventually UFC had to pull the plug. Luckily, they were able to book Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2 to fill in for the massive void left by the removal of McGregor vs. Chandler, which is expected to be re-booked later this year.

McGregor, who always shows up when signing the dotted line, is still recovering from whatever injury he suffered two weeks ago. The severity is unknown at this time, but the former UFC double champion took to social media on Saturday to break his silence and deliver a message of optimism to his fans.

Check it out below:

“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, and my team. My fans and opponent deserve me at my best for this fight and we will get there! Thank you for the messages of support, I am in good spirits and confident I’ll be back!”