Fans have been left fearful after the press conference was scrapped unexpectedly (Image: Getty)
MMA fans have been left fearing the worst over Conor McGregor's slated comeback after the Irishman's UFC 303 press conference was postponed at the last minute. The event had been planned for June 3 but the promotion has now confirmed that this has been shelved, with a new date set to be announced in due course.
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It had been mooted that "The Notorious" would appear face-to-face with next opponent Michael Chandler at the meeting with the world's press in Dublin. Tickets had been offered out to members of the public for the event, with these having been snapped up in quick time on Wednesday.
McGregor's upcoming contest at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will take place on June 29, with the 35-year-old's return to the octagon having been nearly three years in the making. The former featherweight and lightweight champion last fought back in 2021, falling to a second defeat in succession to rival Dustin Poirier.
That final foray at UFC 264 infamously saw McGregor sustain a broken tibia, with this gruesome injury meaning that he lost that fight via a technical knockout in round one. Since then, the superstar has experienced a long layoff, enjoying the spoils of his celebrity profile, appearing on TV's "The Ultimate Fighter 31" as a coach, as well as making his film debut in "Road House".
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UFC chief Dana White was hopeful that Conor McGregor will be ready for his big comeback (Image: Getty)
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Any fans hoping to see McGregor back in his home city less than a month before his return to action were let down at the last minute, however. No specific reason has been issued by the UFC for the cancellation of the press conference but one fan quipped: "Sounds like mcgregor couldn’t fit it in the schedule."
Meanwhile, another MMA enthusiast was left fearful of the star's availability for his upcoming return to face Chandler at UFC 303. They said: "McGregor can’t even make it to a Dublin press conference??? We in trouble," while another added: "Connor McNever gonna fight again."
The promotion's statement on the matter read: "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. When we have further information on a new date and time, we will share it immediately. – Thank you."
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Conor McGregor's last appearance in the octagon came against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 (Image: Getty)
Speaking previously, UFC chief Dana White was remaining confident that McGregor will face off against Chandler this summer, in spite of the doubts from naysayers. Blocking out the noise, he said: "I don’t know what’s real on the internet and what’s not real on the internet.
"I don’t know timing wise; in one of them he’s got a beard, he doesn’t have a beard, I have no idea, I don’t know if any of that is real or true or whatever. But Conor is not a dumb guy and this is obviously a big fight for him. He’s calling it the best comeback in the history of sports and all of that stuff. So we’ll see what happens."
Talking about the challenges of getting McGregor to agree to his return, the MMA tycoon also said: "It's not that we've been working on it for ages. There are all kinds of things that go on behind the scenes.
“It's all about timing. Chandler has been ready but Conor hasn't been ready. We talked about this at one of the press conferences recently, he had a lot of obligations that he had to deal with."
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