Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler has finally been set for this year’s International Fight Week as the pair make their returns to the octagon.
The Irishman has been out of action since July 2021, when an horror injury cost him his trilogy with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. But he has since been cleared to return and finally will do so at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
A recent press release from the UFC has said that the event’s undercard will feature a number of big names, with the co-main event being set as Jamahal Hill vs Khalil Rountree. But it seems that there are plans in place for this to change, should another fight come to fruition.
Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler confirmed for UFC 303 main event
The Conor McGregor comeback has been delayed for a long time as he struggled with issues outside of the cage that prevented his return. As long ago as February of last year, the former two-weight world champion confirmed that he would face Chandler, and the pair coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter.
However, after UFC 300 earlier this month, promotional boss Dana White finally announced that the pair would meet at welterweight on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena as the headliner of this year’s International Fight Week.
The bout will see two former lightweight world champions move up to 170lb, with Chandler a former Bellator title holder while McGregor had the belt in the UFC. It will also serve as a tie-breaker after the pair each won one bracket of The Ultimate Fighter.
Ticket prices for Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler draw ire from fans as UFC 303 goes on sale
However, if one wants to attend the big fight, they’ll need to fork out the best part of $1,000 just to get inside the building. Pre-sale tickets have gone on sale for hardcore UFC fans, with many noting that the worst seat in the house could cost as much as $755 before taxes and fees.
Fans have been enraged by the new prices, which will see many priced out as the promotion aims to earn a new record gate. McGregor’s lightweight title win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in 2016 currently holds the record at $17.7million, which would be over $23million in today’s money.
In fact, all but one of the promotion’s top five gates were recorded for McGregor fights, with the fifth place taken up by March’s UFC 299 between Sean O’Malley and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. A sellout for this event would surely push that show off the list again.
But many fans are outraged at the prices, with a number of X users calling the $755 “insane” for McGregor’s first fight in three years.
UFC 303 co-main event between Ian Machado Garry and Colby Covington in danger as fight talks stall
While a press release is currently claiming that Jamahal Hill vs Khalil Rountree is the co-main event, McGregor’s countryman Ian Machado Garry says differently. He believes that he will take on controversial former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington in that slot.
Garry has been clear about how much of a lifetime dream it is to co-headline an event with his idol McGregor. But he has now branded Covington a ‘p****’ and a ‘coward’ as he implies that his rival has pulled out of their agreed bout with a foot injury.
But Garry believes the injury is bogus, sharing a screenshot of a message he sent to Covington that read: “Stop being a p**** your foot is fine agree to the fight. You can’t talk all that s*** and not back it up COWARD.”
Covington has relentlessly trolled Garry and his wife Layla Machado Garry over the last few months, and recently made a crude video calling his rival out. But it now appears that the event’s big penultimate bout may be in jeopardy due to an injury.