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Unfortunately, the highly anticipated fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler at UFC 303 has been canceled due to McGregor sustaining an undisclosed injury that requires more recovery time. This setback has forced McGregor to withdraw from the event.
As a result, the new main event will feature a light heavyweight championship bout between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. The event will still take place on June 29, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The biggest star in UFC history, Conor McGregor, was set to return to the Octagon against his Ultimate Fighter coaching rival, Michael Chandler, in the main event of UFC 303. The five-round welterweight fight was scheduled for Saturday, June 29, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
McGregor (22-6-0, 19 KOs) had not fought in nearly three years and was just 1-3 in his previous four fights. The Irishman lost twice to Dustin Poirier in 2021, including a technical knockout in the opening round at UFC 264 after breaking his leg.
Chandler (23-8-0, 11 KOs) was also coming off a setback to Poirier at UFC 281 in late 2022. The American had dropped three of his previous four fights and could have retired after butting heads with McGregor.
In the co-main event, #3 Jamahal Hill (12-2-0, 7 KOs) and #11 Carlos Ulberg (11-1-0, 7 KOs) will battle in an exciting light heavyweight showdown.
New York sportsbook BetMGM had McGregor (-105) as a slight favorite to deal Chandler (-115) a setback. The Irishman opened as a -120 betting favorite to win the fight, but the odds had decreased over the past week.
For those looking to make informed betting decisions, check out some of the best UFC betting sites to find up-to-date betting odds and insights. These resources can provide the latest information to help you choose the right bet for this highly anticipated matchup when it happens.
The biggest star in UFC history, McGregor possesses a diverse skill set that includes boxing, Taekwondo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The 35-year-old is an elite striker who has tallied 19 knockouts in 22 career wins. He connects on 49% of his significant strikes while landing 5.32 strikes per minute.
The Irishman is 2-1 at 170 pounds but will face an uphill climb if Chandler opts to take the fight to the mat. McGregor has a solid takedown accuracy of 55% but has a pitiful 0.67 takedown average per 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Chandler would have entered the fight with an impressive 2.17 takedown average.
Chandler has racked up 11 knockouts in 23 UFC victories and lands 4.89 significant strikes per minute with a 46% accuracy rate. The 38-year-old enjoys throwing a flurry of heavy punches in short bursts and uses a consistent jab that allows him to score points.
The American has an awful 48% power head strike defense, which McGregor will look to exploit. However, Chandler could negate the power of "The Notorious" by utilizing his grappling skills and taking the fight to the mat.
"I was up late
"So, I didn't get into bed until like 12.30 am, 1 am, because I wanted to watch Islam
"It was
"So, obviously I laid there and thought about it for quite a while, and then the next morning, we got on a call. He said: 'It's not happening.'
"A canceled presser... not that big of a deal, right? It happens, but it's the layers in which... If a presser is canceled, is something else wrong? Is there something going on? Immediately, speculation starts going all over the place in 2024 – social media and all that stuff.
"I just kept resting in the fact that I can only control what I can control. I've been doing that now for a year-and-a-half."
Betting Pick: Chandler
Betting odds for this exciting welterweight clash were live on the best betting sites in NY, including BetMGM, which had listed McGregor as a slight -105 favorite. The most common bet type for this UFC fight is the moneyline, a wager on who will win the fight outright.
Considering how McGregor had not fought since July 2021 and has just one UFC victory since 2016 while fighting only four times, Chandler was our bet to win the fight. A $100 wager at odds of -115 on the American would net a total payout of $186.96.
The Over/Under bet is another popular type, where you wager on the number of rounds the fight will last. Given that McGregor's previous two fights ended in the second round or earlier, we didn’t expect the fight to go the distance. Thus, betting Under 3.5 rounds could have been a winning pick.
The five-round welterweight fight was scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 29, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, this has now been canceled.
UFC legend Conor McGregor was the slight favorite to defeat Michael Chandler at UFC 303. BetMGM had McGregor as a -105 betting favorite, while Chandler was the -115 underdog.
Since Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is no longer going ahead on UFC 303, light heavyweights Alex Pereira (10-2-0, 7 KOs) and Jiri Prochazka (30-4-1, 7 KOs) will collide in the main event.
Other fights on the undercard include a women's bantamweight matchup featuring Mayra Bueno Silva (10-3-1, 1 KO) and Macy Chiasson (10-3-0, 2 KOs), a middleweight fight pitting Joe Pyfer (12-3-0, 8 KOs) against Marc-Andre Barriault (16-7-0, 10 KOs), a welterweight bout with #7 Ian Machado Garry (14-0-0, 7 KOs) butting heads against #14 Michael Page (22-2-0, 13 KOs), and a featherweight clash between Cub Swanson (29-13-0, 13 KOs) and Andre Fili (23-11-0, 10 KOs).
This fight isn’t going ahead on June 29th, but Mixed martial arts fans can place bets during the new matchup fight with live UFC odds that are constantly updated based on the real action inside the Octagon. The most popular types of in-play wagers offered include moneyline bets on the predicted winner, the method of victory, and how long the fight will last.
Once rescheduled, UFC fans can place various bets on this highly anticipated welterweight fight at BetMGM, a well-known and trusted sportsbook in New York.
