The UFC 303 welterweight bout between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler appeared to be on life support after a Dublin press conference was shockingly canceled Monday morning on just 12 hours’ notice, but the June 29 main event appears as if it’s still on track.
“There is great positivity that this fight is going forward,” Ariel Helwani reported on “The MMA Hour” Wednesday. “The vibes on Sunday were quite confused; the vibes on Monday were pessimistic.”
Many wondered why the event was scrapped, but momentum toward the fight happening has “turned a bit of a corner here,” according to Helwani.
“The vibes could not be any more different than Sunday and Monday,” Helwani said. “The positivity could not be any greater; it’s so much higher now; there is great optimism that all systems are a go.”
The UFC seemed to be scrambling following the press conference cancellation, as Helwani reported on Monday that it had “sent feelers” out to other fighters who could potentially step up as a replacement.
“My answer is yes, as of right now,” Helwani added regarding whether the fight will take place. “That’s as of 1:16 p.m. ET, this is all developing, this is all fluid, but this is the update right now. This is what I’m hearing and what I feel confident reporting.”
Helwani stopped short of explaining why the press conference was canceled to begin with, adding that the information will stay off the record for now but that “there may be a time down the line to discuss it.”
“I think everyone can chill. I don’t know why there haven’t been a ton of updates [from the promotion] but that’s not on me,” Helwani concludes. “We’re talking about a fight that hit a bit of a roadblock, that the roadblock has been minute… S–t happens in the build-up to a fight. There isn’t always a press conference of this magnitude scheduled four or so weeks into a fight. There is a reason why they didn’t want to have it; there is a reason they didn’t want to go out in front of that many people in the world right that press conferences would be seen by millions of people. They’ll address that.”
The fight is critical for McGregor, who has one fight left on his UFC deal after this one, as he attempts to renegotiate what will likely wind up being a massive extension for the prizefighter.
Fans across the combat sports world immediately theorized that McGregor, who was seen enjoying a wild night partying in Dublin on May 27, had either a positive drug test or was simply missing in action.
Helwani reiterated there were no drug test problems or outside-the-octagon issues for McGregor that led to the press conference getting called off.
McGregor mentioned that he was not drinking any alcohol in the lead-up to the fight, though, and was not seen drinking any in the viral videos.
Chandler seemed to subtly address the drama on Instagram, cryptically posting, “If you’re looking for me, I’ll be out in Tennessee. No way out of the life we chose,” Chandler, 38, wrote. “Walk On. See you at the top!”