Conor McGregor issues statement on last-minute cancellation of UFC 303 press conference

Conor McGregor didn't offer many details but did address the abrupt cancellation of his pre-fight press conference for UFC 303, which was scheduled to take place in Dublin, Ireland on Monday.

Late Sunday night, UFC officials announced that the press conference scheduled to feature McGregor, Michael Chandler and UFC CEO Dana White would not go ahead as scheduled. No reason was given for the postponement, and speculation quickly flared as to why the press conference had been abruptly canceled.

McGregor released a short statement on social media about the situation and apologised to everyone who was due to attend the press conference.

“After consulting with UFC, today's press conference has been cancelled due to a series of obstacles beyond our control,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “I apologise to my fans in Ireland and around the world for any inconvenience caused and thank you all for your passion and support. I can't wait to put on the greatest show ever in the Octagon.”

McGregor didn't specify why the press conference was cancelled, but with White mentioning he was planning on flying to Ireland the following day for UFC 302, it's clear that it all happened rather suddenly.

Chandler was also preparing to board a flight to Ireland when he received news that the press conference had been cancelled.

It is unclear if the cancellation of the press conference will have any impact on the actual fight, scheduled for June 29 at UFC 303 in Las Vegas.

McGregor is expected to return to action for the first time in three years after suffering a nasty leg fracture in his most recent bout in 2021, while Chandler has been waiting more than a year for a bout with McGregor to materialise after serving as his coach on The Ultimate Fighter last year.

As of now, the McGregor vs. Chandler bout remains on schedule, but it's unclear if the two will have a chance to meet again during fight week in Las Vegas.