CONOR MCGREGOR's UFC showdown against Michael Chandler is OFF.
The MMA superstar, 35, was due to make his long-awaited cage comeback against his fellow fan favourite on June 29 in the main event of UFC 303 in Las Vegas.
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But their long-overdue dust-up - which was first announced last February - has fallen through due to an injury to the Irishman.
UFC CEO and president Dana White announced the cancellation of the card on social media, saying: "Alright, guys. Here I am again.
"Conor McGregor is out of 303 versus Michael Chandler.
"The new main event is Alex Pereira - former, not only UFC middleweight champion, he's also the first fighter to win middleweight and light-heavyweight titles in UFC history.
"He also did it in the shortest amount of time. He did it in 736 days in 7 seven fights.
"He's finished seven of nine wins by knockout, which is a 78 per cent finish rate and won ten of his last 11 fights and he is facing former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka."
Fears that the Return of the Mac could be off began to swirl last week after the UFC cancelled a press conference with their poster boy, Chandler and White.
The cancellation of the presser came less than 12 hours before it was due to take place at Dublin's 3Arena.
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When will Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler take place?
By Chisanga Malata
CONOR MCGREGOR has been forced out of his long-awaited UFC return due to injury - but a new date for his return is already in the works.
Injury befell the Irishman just days before he was due to head out to Las Vegas for his UFC 303 clash with Michael Chandler and he was forced to withdraw from a fight for the first time in his career.
But the former two-weight champion won't be out of action for too long and the UFC brass are already looking at new dates for his return.
Two dates are currently in play for the long overdue Return of the Mac.
SunSport understands August 31 and September 14 are the dates currently being explored for the fan favourite's comeback.
A September return is more likely as the UFC already have a pay-per-view card pencilled in for Sin City's brand-spanking-new Sphere.
But the brass could decide to hold a second PPV event in August to ensure McGregor's return takes place in the summer.
McGregor, 35, hasn't set foot inside the octagon since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
SunSport then learned that The Notorious had cancelled his pre-fight media obligations with the UFC's broadcast partners that were scheduled to take place the day before.
Thankfully for Chandler, he hadn't left for the Emerald Isle before the cancellation of the presser.
Conor McGregor's Five Craziest Moments as UFC megastar plots return to MMA
Both the UFC and Team McGregor were holding out hope that the fight could still take place.
Bu the injury sustained by the promotion's first two-division champion, ultimately, proved to be too debilitating for him to fight.
VeteranMMAreporter Ariel Helwani has reported that White hopes to have the fight rescheduled for before the end of September.
August 31 is one potential free date but a September dust-up would appear more likely.
White currently has a pay-per-view event scheduled for September 17, again in Las Vegas.
UFC 306 is set to take place at the incredible new Sphere in Sin City and currently doesn't have a main event booked.
McGregor, 35, hasn't set foot inside the octagon since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier nearly three years ago.
The Dubliner underwent a long and painstaking rehab to get himself healthy and fit to return to the octagon.
McGregor had aspirations of ending his barren run with an emphatic stoppage victory over Chandler.
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The Irishman was set to go into the welterweight showdown on the back of consecutive stoppage losses to Poirier.
Mystic Mac - the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight world champion - hasn't tasted victory in a whopping FOUR-AND-A-HALF years.
McGregor's last victory came in January 2020 at UFC 246, where he decimated Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds in his first outing since losing his grudge match to bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor had grand plans for his June joust with Chandler to be the first of THREE fights in a calendar year.
He told The MacLife: “I’ll do three this year: June, September, December.
"We’ve got Chandler in June, obviously. September, Sphere, is Mexican Independence Day.
"Potentially someone with Mexican heritage, maybe a [Nate Diaz.
"I think Diaz would be perfect. I don’t know the ins and outs.
Read more on the Irish Sun
"I kind of thought that would be a lovely one."
Inside McGregor's Notorious lifestyle
With more sides to his personality than an Octagon, Conor McGregor's rise has been an enthralling watch.
Going from UFC icon to entrepreneur and Hollywood star, the Irishman has transcended the sport he helped bring to the masses.
He has four children with fiancee Dee Devlin and the family enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
McGregor has not fought in UFC since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021.
That has not stopped him amassing a net worth of over £150m thanks to his Proper No Twelve whiskey and fashion line.
And he is due to return to the Octagon at UFC 303 in an eagerly-awaited headline clash with Michael Chandler.
McGregor also starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the Amazon Prime remake of classic movie Road House, although he is dreading his mum seeing one X-rated scene.
Notorious turned up to the premiere in a £60,000 suit that was outdone by his £460k watch.
The only thing sharper than his fashion sense is his tongue and the Dubliner has several bitter spats under his belt, including with UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
That row led to one of his biggest controversies in 2018 as he travelled 3,000 miles to confront Khabib in a vicious attack on his bus.
He pleaded guilty to assault after punching a man in a pub in 2018 and had his £150k Bentley seized by police for driving offences four years later.
Joe Rogan lashed out at McGregor in a four-letter outburst and the Irishman has also fired shots at Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy Fury.
Boxing great Floyd Mayweather also has McGregor on his enemy list after the pair clashed in a cross-sport bout in 2017.
Read all of our latest Conor McGregor stories.
