“If He’s Fighting, Why Are We Canceling?” – Insider Clears Dana White Intentions as $20M Conor McGregor Gate Hangs in Balance

Almost everyone agrees that the cancellation of the UFC 303 press conference portends ill omens for Conor McGregor‘s comeback. The press conference was scheduled for June 3 in McGregor’s hometown of Dublin. It was expected to be a slam dunk for the biggest showman in combat sports. However, the UFC abruptly called it off and has been suspiciously silent on why it did so.

Not only the UFC, but all parties involved- including ‘Mac’ and Michael Chandler have also been silent, except for a tweet from the Irishman the same day, where he shed no light on the reasons behind the media day event being called off. This has concerned many, including UFC’s lead commentator Jon Anik, and his commentary booth-mate Michael Bisping.

Anik fears the worst about Conor McGregor UFC 303 bout

Conor McGregor is still scheduled to face Chandler at the top of UFC 303 on June 29. Out for three years, this bout would mark the return of MMA’s biggest star since he broke his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021. And the fans are hyped.

UFC 303, at $20 million, became the highest-grossing gate event in UFC history a few weeks ago, almost two months from the bout. However, the abrupt cancellation of the press conference this week and the lack of clarity on the reasons has Jon Anik and Michael Bisping fearing the worst.

“If there was a 30% chance that he was going to compete, why do you cancel the press conference? So when Daniel Cormier and others come out and say it’s worrisome that it’s postponed and I think maybe even now canceled, yeah ‘cuz if he’s fighting, why are we canceling the press conference, right? My initial thought was, oh is there a cut? But then maybe is it leg-related?” Anik said in a video on Bisping’s YouTube channel.

Anik felt that people were rightfully concerned about the fate of the McGregor-Chandler fight. However, he was equally confident that the UFC would be able to salvage the bout and make another cracking matchup for the UFC 303 main event if it came to that. What would be impossible to salvage though would be the nearly two-year period Michael Chandler has wasted so far.

38-year-old Chandler will be the biggest loser if McGregor pulls out

If the fight gets called off, the worst loser would be Michael Chandler. In hopes of his own ‘red-panty night’, the former Bellator champion has virtually put his career on hold. Chandler and McGregor had to face each other last year itself.  But the birth of McGregor’s fourth child and rumored drug testing issues pushed it to this year. Chandler has been waiting in the wings for a shot at McGregor and all the fame and money it brings. He last fought two years ago, in a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281.

The clock is ticking, quite rapidly, for the 38-year-old Chandler. If ‘Mac’ pulls out, as Anik and Bisping fear, ‘Iron’ will have wasted almost two precious years of his career. The Missouri native has foregone significant amounts of money and has seen the division move on without him, all for a shot at McGregor and undoubtedly the biggest payday of his career. But he will have it snatched away from him at the last moment if the McGregor bout falls off. And that is still in the realm of conjecture and hypothesis until the UFC breaks its silence.