Conor McGregor withdrew from UFC 303 due to broken toe


Conor McGregor poses for photographers during a photo call for the the film ‘Road House’ in London, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor posted on Instagram on Friday that a broken toe was the reason he had to pull out of his headline UFC 303 bout against Michael Chandler after previously not specifying the injury.

“We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean,” McGregor posted.

“It needs a few weeks that’s it. I couldn’t justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk hindered again. That walk has been seen. This next walk has got to be, and it will be, 100% Conor McGregor. The fans deserve it and we are getting close.”

READ: Conor McGregor says he will return to UFC after injury recovery

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will face top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka in the June 29 main event in Las Vegas in place of the McGregor-Chandler match.

McGregor said he would return to the octagon “Chandler or not.”

He took the X, formerly known as Twitter, to say that Chandler is getting paid 10 times the amount he would have received if he had fought someone else.

“For those saying he could have fought 2 or 3 times by now etc.,” McGregor posted, “He’d need 10 to break even with this cheque.”



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Conor McGregor says he will return to UFC after injury recovery


FILE – Conor McGregor prepares to fight Dustin Poirier in a UFC 264 lightweight mixed martial arts bout July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. McGregor will not compete in UFC 303 on Saturday, June 29, 2024, in Las Vegas. He has indicated he is injured. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

LAS VEGAS — In his first public comments since pulling out of UFC 303 on Thursday because of an undisclosed injury, Conor McGregor called it a postponement rather than a cancellation of his fight with Michael Chandler that had been scheduled for later this month.

McGregor said Saturday that he was injured shortly before his scheduled June 3 news conference in Dublin. The news conference was abruptly canceled, creating speculation that McGregor might not fight in the June 29 bout in Las Vegas.

“The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC, and my team,” McGregor posted on X.

READ: Conor McGregor says he’s returning to UFC octagon vs Michael Chandler

“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!”

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will face top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka in the main event in place of the McGregor-Chandler match.

There also was a change with the co-main event. An injury forced light heavyweight contender Jamahal Hill to drop out, and Carlos Ulberg will face replacement Anthony Smith.



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