The biggest stars in MMA history will fight in the main event of UFC 303.
Conor McGregor's long-awaited return to the Octagon is confirmed to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 303, with UFC CEO Dana White officially announcing the matchup after Saturday's UFC 300 event.
The matchup, which will take place at welterweight rather than middleweight as previously claimed by “The Notorious,” will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be aired on pay-per-view after the fight on the UFC 303 card. serves as the headliner. ESPN qualifying.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will face a rematch in 2023 after McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) coaches his opponent on The Ultimate Fighter. has long been targeted as an opponent.
McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he broke his foot in a three-fight fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. It's been almost three years since he played in a game.
The Irishman recently expressed frustration with the UFC about his return, saying his “patience is wearing thin” after re-entering the drug testing pool.
McGregor, 35, then announced that he would return to fight Chandler during International Fight Week on June 29, and that the fight would be at middleweight. That ultimately proved to be a mistake, but McGregor would be back in the Octagon months earlier than expected.
Chandler, a former three-time Bellator champion, is looking to derail what McGregor's team called “the greatest comeback in the history of the sport,” believing the long wait for this matchup has finally paid off. Chandler, 37, hasn't fought since losing to Fight of the Year candidate Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022.
The latest UFC 303 lineup includes:
- Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor
- Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson
- Carlos Hernandez vs. Rei Tsuruya
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