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via Getty

via Getty

Conor McGregor has given the fans much-needed hope with an update amidst speculations surrounding a possible cancellation of his UFC return against Michael Chandler! The Irishman is scheduled to take on Chandler on June 29 at UFC 303 where he will make his return to the Octagon for the first time since suffering a severe leg fracture in 2021. McGregor has been actively promoting the fight on social media and other channels, but the MMA world was left reeling when it was recently announced by the UFC that the pre-fight press conference in Dublin for the event had been canceled.

According to the official statement by the promotion, “Dear UFC Fans, The #UFC303 press conference scheduled for Monday, June 3rd in Dublin, Ireland at 3Arena has been postponed until further notice, we sincerely apologize to all the fans who were planning to attend.”

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This led to a wave of concern amongst the fandom and the MMA world about the chances of ‘The Notorious’s comeback falling through. While McGregor did release an apology to the fans afterward, he didn’t provide much clarity on why the press conference was canceled as he stated on X, “In consultation with the UFC, today’s press conference was canceled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control.”

However, in a recent post on Instagram, McGregor shared multiple videos of himself hard at work in the gym and sharpening his skills inside the cage. He captioned the post, “Getting better as I go go goatsy! 🐐🙏”. The update has left the fans wondering if the press conference cancellation and other reports, like McGregor sharing a picture of himself in the doctor’s office, were all ploys by ‘The Notorious’ to drum up more interest in the fight. Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say!

Fans find light at the end of the tunnel as Conor McGregor clears the air on rumors of UFC 303 cancellation

Conor McGregor’s fiancé Dee Devlin commented on the post with a series of emojis that indicated her support for her partner: “🐐😍🙌”

One fan claimed that the entire saga has been a way for McGregor to rattle Michael Chandler with “mind games”, reminiscent of his previous tactics against Jose Aldo from their undisputed featherweight title clash at UFC 194 in 2015.

“Bro just playing mind games with Chandler”

Some even labeled McGregor as a “genius” for his promotion of the event and claimed that he is on track to return to the win column against Chandler as the Irishman’s last victory inside the Octagon came all the way back in 2020 at UFC 246 against Donald Cerrone.

“He’s a Genius he knows how to sell a fight he’s gonna take a W”

A fan indicated that the training footage has given hope to the community about the fight being “still on” as recent rumors and speculations had led to many wondering if they’ll have to wait even longer to witness the return of the Irish MMA icon. Further, this also puts their mind at ease about him being possibly injured.

“So You’re telling us there’s a chance… the fight is still on”

Other members of the community used the opportunity to implore McGregor to ensure his return goes without a hitch

“Mcgregor please make the comeback.”

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And some proclaimed that the entire saga has been a “trolling” attempt by McGregor as he is working hard to make a statement against Michael Chandler when he steps into the Octagon on June 29

“Conor’s trolling everyone and some of yall are falling for it. The man is just focused on knocking Chandler spark out”

A fan also echoed UFC CEO Dana White’s sentiments about McGregor’s “mental warfare” skills and tactics as the UFC boss recently stated on the ‘Flagrant’ podcast, “I will tell you this and I don’t ever like to compare people to Muhammad Ali…… but, I don’t give a f**k what anybody says, Ali, Conor both level when it comes to mental warfare. The two best of all time when it comes to mental warfare. ”

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“The king of mental warfare,” wrote the fan.

In conclusion, as the UFC community eagerly awaits June 29, McGregor’s updates have provided a glimmer of hope that the fight is still on, demonstrating once again his unparalleled ability to captivate and engage both fans and opponents with his ‘mental warfare’. Do you think the world will witness Conor McGregor’s return to peak form at UFC 303? Share your thoughts in the comments below!