Conor McGregor has pulled out of his fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303. And while fans seem frustrated to have to wait longer for the Irishman to return to the octagon, former UFC star, Ben Askren believes, the curtain has been drawn over McGrgeor’s career.
Critical about the former lightweight champion, Askren claimed that McGregor was done with “serious fighting“.
Discussing the subject before the news of the fight being officially canceled was announced, the veteran chimed in with his take. Askren believes that McGregor keeps talking about a comeback to keep people interested because it was ‘fame or attraction is a bit like a drug’.
“I think he’ll keep throwing that out there, maybe he does something celebrity boxing match or something, who knows if UFC lets him, they’re probably pissed at him after this one so… Yeah, I’d say he is done with serious fighting.”
Scheduled on June 29, the bout had already seen a lot of drama before being called off.
Uncharacteristically McGregor had canceled his media interaction in his hometown at the last minute prompting enthusiasts and fans alike to wonder what was going on. Then there were several rumors of the fighter suffering an injury.
Of course, now that the dust has settled, Dana White has called off the fight at UFC 303, instead replacing the main event with Alex Pereira and Jiri Procházka for the light heavyweight title.
Dana White calls off McGregor vs. Chandler for UFC 303
In an announcement on X, the UFC President confirmed what journalists like Ariel Helwani had been talking about for a day. McGregor has suffered from an injury during fight camp so the fight is now canceled. Instead, fans will witness Prochazka trying to avenge his loss against the ‘Poatan’.
Fans are of course, unhappy that White took this long to clarify the situation, allowing them to buy tickets and book hotels, and spend extravagant amounts of money just for the fight to be called off at the last minute. Meanwhile, others basically called out Chandler for wasting 2 years of his career dreaming about the ‘red panty night’.
According to reports, the fight hasn’t been completely shelved though, and will take place at a later date during the year. So, many Ben Askren was wrong. Or maybe Chandler has just waited out his own prime in search of a money fight.
