Conor McGregor's backup plan for UFC 303: Max Holloway? “The show must go on!”

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Eyebrows were raised when the scheduled pre-fight press conference in Dublin, Ireland was postponed at the last minute. Immediately, speculation and concerns about Conor McGregor and his performance in his expected return fight grew, and vague public statements by the Irish superstar did little to ease the concerns.

Theories quickly emerged ranging from drug use to legal issues, but the current rumor and speculation within the industry is that McGregor has suffered a minor injury. With just a few weeks until the UFC 303 card, what happens if McGregor is unable to recover and perform?

According to Chael Sonnen, McGregor will fight because it's his rule as a fighter to fight no matter what, but if McGregor can't compete, Sonnen predicts the UFC will turn to Max Holloway to salvage the bout and put the BMF title on the line against Michael Chandler.

“A man lives by his codes. Those codes may not align with standard societal policies or laws, but he follows those codes no matter what the cost. One of Conor's codes is that the show must go on. When he broke his leg in half in his last fight, Joe said, 'I don't interview injured fighters. I have to put him on a stretcher,' and Conor called him over and pulled him to the mat. Why did Joe sit down for that interview? Because the show must go on, even though the screen hadn't yet gone black and the credits hadn't yet rolled.

I happened to be with Conor McGregor when Jose Aldo withdrew and Chad Mendes entered. We were covering the ESPN campus. I was there when Conor canceled the fight and I didn't care at all because the show must go on even if the opponent changes! I can't imagine Conor canceling a fight less than a month before, whether it's for illness, injury or any other excuse. It changes the code he has to adhere to as a person.

But I will say this: This fight is not going to be postponed. It's either going to happen on the 29th or it's going to go ahead. So yeah, the fight is going to happen as scheduled. I think Conor is going to fight Michael Chandler. I'm confident about that. But if that doesn't happen, then Michael Chandler vs. Max Holloway is going to be the fight for the BMF.”

There's still a lot unknown about McGregor's situation and why he canceled his media appearances, but his preparations for UFC 303 may be going perfectly fine, but if something does go wrong, there's no better replacement for the high-profile bout than Max Holloway.

Stay tuned for upcoming updates regarding UFC 303 and Conor McGregor's status.

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