The UFC 303 main event featuring Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler has been canceled, Dana White announced Thursday night.
According to the UFC president, the Irish fighter withdrew due to an injury.
The new main event will now feature Alex Pereira versus Jiří Prochazka for the light heavyweight title. The co-main event will see former featherweight champion Brian Ortega take on rising star Diego Lopes.
Originally, the co-main event was a bout between Jamahal Hill and Carlos Ulberg, but Hill's injury led to its replacement.
The cancellation of McGregor vs. Chandler had been anticipated in recent days. After last week's sudden cancellation of the event's press conference, doubts about the fight grew. The UFC's search for replacements on Thursday essentially confirmed the cancellation.
McGregor vs. Chandler was supposed to mark McGregor's comeback since his last fight in 2021, but this will now be postponed.
There is hope that the fight will be rescheduled for August or September, as reported by MMA Hour's Ariel Helwani, although this depends on the severity of McGregor's injury, which White did not specify.
Despite the significant changes to the UFC 303 card, it promises to remain an exciting event with Pereira and Procházka headlining. Their last encounter in November saw Pereira win via TKO for the light heavyweight championship.
