Why is the UFC remaining silent on UFC 303: McGregor Vs. Chandler?

The roller coaster ride that is the Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler fight in the main event of the upcoming UFC 303 pay-per-view card took another downfall today with reports that the UFC is once again no longer looking for a replacement for McGregor for the fast. -as we approach the June 29 fight card.

In May, UFC CEO Dana White announced that UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler would set a UFC record at $20 million. The promotion, seeking to build interest in the scrap, also held a press conference on June 3 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Tickets for this event were quickly snapped up by fans hoping to hear McGregor’s return to the stage in his home country. However, on the morning of that press conference, the UFC announced its abrupt cancellation.

This was the first sign that something was wrong with the event. Whether Chandler was ready to fly to Dublin when the news broke, speculation was that something was wrong on the McGregor side of the equation.

Silence from the UFC followed this announcement.

Days after the UFC 303 press conference was suddenly canceled, Ariel Helwani announced some positive news about the McGregor vs. Chandler fight.

“I can tell you that last night, today, I can tell you that there is a lot of positivity about continuing this fight,” Helwani said. MMA time. If you ask me right now if Conor McGregor is going to fight Michael Chandler on June 29? My answer is yes. For now yes. Do I know what happens tomorrow? No.”

Helwani boosted morale with this news. A week later, he crushed those spirits.

In today’s edition of MMA timeHelwani said: “On Monday last week, I would say the level of optimism was not very high. There was some worry, there were doubts and there were obstacles. I came to this show on Wednesday and I said optimism was high There It was great positivity, all those words I used It felt like we dodged a bullet, it felt like we broke through. a Cape.

“On Tuesday I reported that the UFC was sending out probes, they were contacting fighters and managers to see who could possibly be available to replace the fight – meaning two new fighters – or step in and replace the fighter. One of the fighters involved fighting on this card Obviously the fighter we’re talking about is Conor McGregor, because why else would Chandler be willing to fly to Dublin?

“So I said it looked like we were all OK, and as of Wednesday, no probe had been launched, no one was really talking about it. It appeared all systems were operational.

“Yesterday morning I started hearing – as I continued to check in because I know there’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of doubt, a lot of worry about this because it’s a so big fight and because no one involved is talking about it publicly, Chandler did a single interview and I think that allayed some concerns, but no one is really talking about it – and I found out, via multiple sources. , that they are contacting people again They are reaching out to managers, they are reaching out to fighters, as potential replacements, as a new fight, as replacements, as a replacement for McGregor, or just as insurance All. these things are at stake.

“One step further, here we are, Wednesday, 1:15 p.m., the positivity I spoke of exactly a week ago today is nowhere to be found. I would say this fight is in limbo. I would say it stands and the UFC is working very, very hard right now to find a plan B. Plan B could be someone stepping in to fight Chandler, plan C could be a whole new fight.

Why the UFC is being abandoned at UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler

The main reason why the UFC might be keeping quiet about the UFC 303 main event is because they themselves aren’t sure what’s going on.

McGregor has never pulled out of a fight. Even when given the chance, he shrugged his shoulders and took on an opponent on short notice. The feeling is that if McGregor can fight on the night, he will, even if it is a last minute decision. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the UFC give McGregor and his camp such leeway.

Another reason the UFC might stay quiet is that losing the UFC 303 main event could open the promotion up to refunds.

Nevada State Athletic Commission rules state that if a main event on a combat sports card fails, refunds must be offered. It’s hard to believe that the UFC would agree to provide these refunds. With that in mind, the UFC could either look to replace McGregor vs. Chandler with a blockbuster main event that would deter fans from looking to get their money back, or wait until the last minute to see if McGregor can compete.

If we want some positive news, the UFC is still accepting pre-orders for the pay-per-view and is still posting preview videos on its YouTube page:

Why waiting for news on McGregor vs. Chandler is bad

If this were another UFC pay-per-view main event, we wouldn’t be involved in this kind of concern. The UFC has lost main events before and fans are generally handling this news well. The difference this time is Conor McGregor. He is the biggest name in the sport and fans will travel internationally for this event.

This trip, if we add the price of tickets and accommodation in Las Vegas, fans who have not invested in refundable travel and rooms will lose a lot of money. The UFC is causing a lot of anxiety and worry for these fans, which I’ve talked about before.

The waiting is the hardest part

The only thing fans can do now is wait and hope for the best. That McGregor vs. Chandler is just over two weeks away and we haven’t heard anything official from the UFC, either positive or negative, is concerning.

However, if we know one thing about Dana White, it’s that he doesn’t like or trust the “media.” With that in mind, when an announcement is made, it will come from White and will likely include the message that you should never trust anyone other than the UFC when it comes to news regarding a fight card. That is, if the UFC 303 main event goes as planned.

Right now, that’s what most fans are worried about.

UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler is scheduled to take place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

*I reached out to the UFC for an update on the UFC 303 news. The promotion did not respond prior to publication.

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