The latest news coming out on UFC 303 is Michael Chandler’s decision to fly out of Florida, where he was apparently training for the Conor McGregor fight. Chandler has put a stop to his training camp, and has joined his family back in Tennessee. There are less than four weeks to go for the highly anticipated UFC 30, and rumors doing rounds on the internet suggest that the fight might actually be off.
Michael Chandler addressed his fans on Instagram, “If you’re looking for me, I’ll be out in Tennessee. No way out of the life we chose…-Walk On.-See you at the top!” he captioned the post.
Dana White’s silence on the matter, ESPN pulling out UFC 303 advertisement from their website, ESPN Plus returning “Page Not Found” error for UFC 303, the cancellation of pre-fight press conference scheduled for Dublin without any later date or venue, and now Michael Chandler leaving the training camp weeks ahead of the fight; all of this seems to have sent a confirmation that McGregor vs Chandler is not happening later this month.
Is UFC 303 canceled, and what are the other options?
UFC or Dana White has yet to give an official statement on the confusion surrounding UFC 303. White made a recent appearance on social media, where he announced the UFC Fight Night card in Denver set to feature Rose Namajunas vs Maycee Barber in the main event. However, White did not address UFC 303 or the abrupt postponement of the pre-fight press conference.
Meanwhile, UFC fans have already started playing matchmakers, and a good section of the fans feel Michael Chandler vs Max Holloway can be a good replacement. However, it is to be noted, that most of the public opinion indicates McGregor has pulled out of the fight and not otherwise.
Even Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier have expressed their interest in a potential fight between Chandler and Holloway if indeed McGregor has pulled out of the fight.
Be that as it may, it’s certainly possible that Michael Chandler may have injured himself, forcing him to stop his training in Florida to go and join back his family. In this situation, BMF title fight between Max Holloway vs Conor McGregor is something that will send MMA fans into a frenzy.
It is to be noted that McGregor has never pulled out of a fight, and his track record has many fans hoping for a miracle. Earlier, Dana White had stated during the UFC 302 post-fight press conference that the promotion is working on a BMF title fight. If the math is right, expect an announcement soon. However, with all that said, it’s way too soon to jump to any conclusions unless you hear it from the bossman Dana White.