Decision to pull out of Chandler fight 'not made lightly'

Conor McGregor says nan determination to propulsion retired of his conflict against Michael Chandler connected 29 June “was not made lightly”.

The UFC confirmed connected Friday McGregor was forced to withdraw from nan welterweight title astatine UFC 303 owed to an injury.

Speaking connected Instagram, external, McGregor said he was “confident” he would return to fighting soon.

“Very reliable to beryllium ruled retired of my scheduled return bout,” McGregor, 35, said.

“I picked up an wounded anterior to nan property convention that required much clip to heal than was disposable to me. The determination to postpone nan conflict was not made lightly but 1 made successful consultation pinch my doctors, nan UFC and my team.

“My fans and force merit maine astatine my champion for this conflict and we will get there.”

It is nan first clip McGregor, a erstwhile two-weight world champion, has been forced to propulsion retired of a UFC conflict done injury.

McGregor has not fought since July 2021, erstwhile he broke his limb successful a loss to Dustin Poirier.

The Irishman was owed to header UFC 303 but has now been replaced by light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

Brazil’s Pereira steps successful connected 2 weeks' announcement to take sides his title against nan Czech Republic's Jiri Prochazka successful nan caller main event.

The McGregor-Chandler conflict was announced connected 24 May and tickets sold retired successful little than 10 minutes.

The UFC "postponed" a news convention successful Dublin earlier this month, though American Chandler continued to train and nan UFC's broadcast partners continued to advertise nan fight.

The highly anticipated welterweight bout betwixt Irishman Ian Garry and Briton Michael 'Venom' Page remains connected nan UFC 303 card.