The McGregor vs Chandler Fight Is Canceled: Here's What's Happening Now

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It's official. After years of anticipation and what promised to be an iconic return, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler's highly-anticipated bout at UFC 303 in Vegas later this month has been called off.

McGregor's absence from competing in the UFC began with an injury in his last fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor was slated to return to the octagon to square off against lightweight fighter Michael Chandler on Saturday, June 29th, 2024. Back in May, UFC CEO Dana White announced that the gate for the fight would set a record of $20 million.

However, since a UFC press conference in Dublin was canceled back when it was scheduled to occur on June 3rd, rumors began to swirl around the main event and whether or not it was actually going to happen. Just days before the fight was canceled, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani stated through a viral video that the main event was in limbo, and the UFC was potentially looking for a last-minute replacement fight if the McGregor vs. Chandler match were to get postponed. 

On Thursday, June 13, White officially announced the event was, in fact, canceled due to an injury McGregor is dealing with.This is the first time in McGregor's UFC career that he has pulled out of a match for any reason. 

The call off adds another twist to the ongoing saga between McGregor and Chandler. Back in 2022, Chandler, a former Bellator MMA champion, threw down the gauntlet and called out McGregor. The UFC took the excitement up a notch by announcing that the two would coach against each other on The Ultimate Fighter reality series in early 2023, a spectacle that went ahead as planned that spring. Despite the buzz, various factors delayed setting a fight date until early this year. Now, with the latest development, fans are left eagerly anticipating what comes next in this thrilling rivalry.

What Happens Next?

Though McGregor and Chandler are no longer entering the octagon, the show must go on. The new event scheduled is a light heavyweight fight between Brazilian MMA artist Alex Pereira and Czech MMA artist Jiří Procházka.

White also unveiled two more electrifying matchups for the card: Brazilian MMA artist Diego Lopes will face off against American MMA artist Brian Ortega in the highly-anticipated co-main event, while New Zealand's Carlos Ulberg is set to take on the U.S.'s Anthony Smith in a thrilling light heavyweight bout. This shake-up comes after Chicago's Jamahal Hill, originally scheduled for the co-main event, was unfortunately sidelined due to injury. These new fighters promise to deliver all the action and excitement fans have been craving. Hopefully they'll fill the void McGregor and Chandler are leaving.

The fight will continue to take place in Vegas on Saturday, June 29th, 2024.

Are There Any Deals With New Streaming Customers?

If you never ask, the answer will always be no, and since you asked, here's a hot tip: We're excited to announce an early bird offer for new customers leading up to UFC 303. An early bird purchase of UFC 303 will save you $10 off the PPV price.

To go a step further, ESPN+ is offering a remarkable deal for new subscribers. Sign up now and get a $15 discount when purchasing UFC 303 with the ESPN+ annual plan. If you're a UFC fan, it would be a big one-two gut punch to miss this offer that expires Monday, June 24th, 2024, at 11:59 PM PST.

How to Watch UFC 303 on ESPN+

UFC 303 will be found on both Pay Per View and ESPN+. The UFC and ESPN have had a great relationship over the years. ESPN has live streamed the broadcasts of the UFC's monthly numbered events. ESPN+ has around 40 UFC events a year on their platform; they also cover UFC First Night, an event that is sprinkled in between their major monthly broadcasts two to three times a month. UFC Fight Night comes with your ESPN+ subscription, but to purchase their main monthly event, it is an extra $79.99 per event. Sign up below for just $11/month.

How to Watch UFC 303 on Hulu

Here's another way you can get access to the fight without subscribing solely to ESPN+. Instead, snag the Disney Bundle Trio from Hulu, which gets you access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ starting at just $15/month. Here, you can make UFC PPV purchases via Hulu without switching over to the ESPN+ app. This is just another way to keep all your at-home streaming content organized.

How to Watch UFC 303 on from anywhere with a VPN

It should be noted that ESPN+ is the exclusive streaming provider for UFC in the U.S. If you're outside of the United States, VPN services like ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access have you covered. These services can mask your location, enabling you to stream as if you're in the US, no matter your actual location. Private Internet Access begins at just $2 per month, and ExpressVPN is currently offering a 49% discount on its annual plan.

• Sign up for ExpressVPN
• Sign up for Private Internet Access

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