Conor McGregor out with injury for UFC 303

Conor McGregor, a prominent figure in the UFC, has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming UFC 303 pay-per-view event scheduled for June 29 in Las Vegas due to an undisclosed injury.

UFC President Dana White announced the change, stating that light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will now face top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka in UFC 303.

Driving the news: McGregor was initially set to fight Michael Chandler, the sixth-ranked lightweight challenger, and the first indication of the bout being in trouble came when his news conference in Dublin on June 3 was abruptly canceled without immediate explanation.

The nature of McGregor’s injury was not elaborated upon by White.  The loss of McGregor, who has not competed in the octagon for three years, is significant for the UFC, as he continues to be a strong draw for gate and pay-per-view sales despite being past his prime at 35 years old. This development highlights the UFC’s position at a crossroads, with established stars such as McGregor, Jon Jones, and Amanda Nunes either approaching the end of their careers or having already retired, while the organization looks to a younger generation of fighters to build their fan base and lead the next era of the sport.