UFC 303 is getting a complete overhaul.
An anticipated main event between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler will no longer take place at the June 29 event scheduled for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UFC president Dana White announced late Thursday that McGregor would not be competing at UFC 303 due to an injury, before announcing an entirely new headline bout.
Current 205-pound champion Alex Pereira, just like he did ahead of April’s historic UFC 300, will step up on short notice to headline a card that needed a big name at the top of the fight card.
Pereira will face former light-heavyweight titleholder Jiri Prochazka in a rematch of a UFC 295 bout. Pereira knocked out Prochazka in November when they headlined at Madison Square Garden.
“Poatan” had teased not long ago that Prochazka was likely to be his next opponent, although at the time he wouldn’t’ve presumed it would take place in June.
“I’m not the guy to call names, I’m not the guy to pick the fights, whoever they want me to fight (I’ll fight), but the name that’s on the table right now is Jiri Prochazka, so we’ll see in the negotiations,” Pereira told Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter through a translator earlier this month in New Jersey when attending UFC 302.
Pereira also told Sportsnet at the time that he wanted to fight next in August after knocking out Jamahal Hill in one round at UFC 300.
Prochazka, the No. 1 ranked contender in the division, got back in the win column when he finished Aleksandar Rakić in a Performance of the Night-winning technical knockout also at UFC 300.
In addition to Pereira vs. Prochazka 2, White announced a new co-main event featuring popular featherweights Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes, plus Anthony Smith is replacing Jamahal Hill and will fight Carlos Ulberg in a light-heavyweight matchup.
McGregor vs. Chandler was first officially announced back in April even though the pair had been slated to meet ever since coaching opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter reality series.
It was not clear at the time of White’s announcement what the exact injury was that prevented McGregor from returning this month or its severity.
McGregor, 35, has not fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July of 2021. His only win since 2016 was a 2020 TKO of Donald Cerrone.
Chandler, 38, has not fought since being submitted by Poirier at UFC 281 in 2022. He has been waiting for this McGregor matchup to come to fruition as opposed to agreeing to face a different opponent.
A special press conference had been scheduled for earlier this month in McGregor’s native Ireland to promote the event, however, it was cancelled on extremely short notice.
Ever since that press conference cancellation there had been growing concerns the bout could be in jeopardy.
Combat sports reporter Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting reported Thursday the plan is to re-book McGregor vs. Chandler later this year, possibly in August or September.