McGregor vs. Chandler update, plus Poirier’s breakdown – Sportsnet.ca

It’s not like mixed martial arts fans aren’t used to strapping themselves to various emotional rollercoasters on a regular basis, but the initial handful of days in June 2024 have been particularly up-and-down and bewildering in nature – not to mention nerve-racking for UFC brass and anyone excited for the blockbuster matchup scheduled to cap off a huge five-event month for the organization.

The month began with UFC 302 this past weekend slogging along and disappointing until Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier salvaged the night with their excellent main event and Makhachev’s tremendous fifth-round submission finish. Attention within the MMA community then quickly turned to a special UFC 303 press conference that was supposed to take place Monday in Ireland with Dana White perched at a podium between American fan favourite Michael Chandler and Irish superstar Conor McGregor in front of thousands of raucous fans.

That event was officially postponed at the eleventh hour under somewhat suspicious circumstances, however, and the UFC and both fighters have been near-silent and quite vague about the whole thing for the past few days.

The UFC issued an apology to fans planning to attend or watch the press conference and McGregor later released a generic statement that revealed little information.

“In consultation with the UFC, todays (sic) press conference was cancelled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control,” McGregor wrote. “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.”

Perhaps it ends up amounting to nothing but the fact McGregor did not mention UFC 303 or its date, June 29, anywhere in his statement ended up leading to further speculation the fight itself could be in jeopardy.

McGregor had also cancelled other scheduled media appearances prior to the press conference postponement. The soon-to-be 36-year-old has not fought since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July of 2021.

Combat sports reporter Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting had a vague yet seemingly positive update on the situation Wednesday afternoon.

Helwani said that “as of last night and as of today…I can tell you that there is great positivity that this fight is going forward (at UFC 303).”

It remains unclear why specifically the press conference was postponed. It has not been disclosed whether McGregor is dealing with some type of injury or personal matter, but Helwani clarified that any speculation the press conference was called off due to reasons such as performance-enhancing drug use, partying, or anything illegal or salacious was off base and incorrect.

“This is all developing; this is all fluid,” Helwani said before adding that as of early Wednesday afternoon he felt confident the matchup between McGregor and Chandler will still take place June 29 at T-Mobile Arena.

Helwani said, “The vibes on Sunday were quite confused, the vibes on Monday were quite pessimistic (and) there was a lot of anxiety heading into Tuesday,” but that Wednesday “could not be any more different than Sunday and Monday. The positivity could not be any greater than what I was hearing on those particular days.”

Helwani had reported Tuesday the UFC had “sent out feelers to see who might be able to fill in, either as a replacement or an entirely new fight at the top of the bill.”

Chandler was reportedly packed and ready to head to the airport on the weekend as he got word the press conference was being cancelled.

The 38-year-old sent a vague post on Instagram Tuesday suggesting he was leaving his training camp in Florida and heading to his home state of Tennessee which further ramped up speculation the fight was in jeopardy.

Helwani did suggest it’s unlikely at this point the press conference gets rescheduled for Ireland with less than four weeks prior to the event, although he did say if anyone would be willing to travel for a special event like that under these circumstances it would be Chandler.

“When we have further information on a new date and time, we will share it immediately,” the UFC’s press conference statement read early Monday.

There has not been any official update since the statement was released. 

VOLKANOVSKI, HARRISON WILLING TO STEP UP

As the uncertainty began circulating throughout the MMA world, a few of the sport’s best were asked whether they’d possibly be ready to compete on short notice in a worst-case scenario where the UFC 303 headliner fell apart.

Ex-featherweight champion and former No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Alexander Volkanovski was asked by Submission Radio on Tuesday how tempting it would be to hypothetically fill in at UFC 303 and take a fight against Chandler or someone else.

“I reckon 100 per cent, as long as it’s a big fight,” Volkanovski said. “I wouldn’t just take any fight. That’s a big deal. Save the day as well, I don’t know, I feel like I just love saving the day. I’m just that good of a guy.”

Volkanovski famously filled in on short notice in the UFC 294 main event for his rematch with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski lost that bout via knockout and was knocked out by current 145-pound champ Ilia Topuria in his return to featherweight at UFC 298 in February.

The 35-year-old Australian star also speculated the commotion this week around UFC 303 is “probably just a little hiccups and everyone’s blowing it out of proportion.”

New UFC star Kayla Harrison, fresh off her dominant debut at UFC 300 in April, said when asked by a fan on social media she’d be open to a short-notice UFC 303 fight against Amanda Nunes for Nunes’s women’s 145-pound title if the UFC came calling.

Harrison looked world class in her bantamweight scrap with Holly Holm but is more accustomed to competing in heavier weight classes. 

Nunes, a former simultaneous two-weight UFC champion, announced her retirement following UFC 289 last summer but teased a potential return to competition earlier this year.

POIRIER’S BREAKDOWN OF MCGREGOR VS. CHANDLER

Before people began asking “what’s going on with UFC 303?” the main question being pondered was “who’s going to win at UFC 303: McGregor or Chandler, and how will they do it?”

Poirier has fought and finished both McGregor and Chandler within the past three years and he was asked about the style matchup during his UFC 302 post-fight media availability.

“If Conor comes back anywhere similar to what he was before the injury, I’m talking timing wise, his rhythm, I think he knocks Chandler out,” Poirier said. 

Poirier avenged a 2014 knockout loss to McGregor back when the two competed as featherweights on two occasions. He became the first fighter to finish McGregor with strikes in MMA when he stopped McGregor via technical knockout at UFC 257 in 2020 and then earned a second TKO win over his rival at UFC 264 when McGregor broke his leg at the end of the first round of their 2021 trilogy bout.

“The way Chandler covers distance with big movements against a sniper like Conor, you’re going to run into something big and you can’t take those shots,” Poirier added. “Chandler’s had a long career. He’s been hurt a lot. I’m not saying he’s chinny, I’m saying you can’t cover distance with a sniper like Conor. If he’s like he was, he’s gonna knock Chandler out.”