In the most anti-climactic news of the year in mixed martial arts, Conor McGregor has been officially ruled out of UFC 303 due to an injury, and his highly anticipated fight with Michael Chandler has been canceled.
Michael Chandler is also off the card entirely. The UFC waited until all details were confirmed before announcing the cancellation, despite rampant speculation about the fight's status throughout the week.
The new main event for UFC 303 will feature Alex Pereira defending his UFC light heavyweight title against former champion Jiri Prochazka in a rematch of their 2023 bout at UFC 295. Pereira won their first encounter via second-round TKO, capturing the vacant light heavyweight title.
Pereira is coming off a successful title defense against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, where he scored a first-round KO despite suffering a broken toe during the fight. He appears to have recovered and is ready to return to the Octagon, promising a significant payday and stepping in to save one of the promotion's biggest events of the year during International Fight Week.
Prochazka earned his rematch by securing a second-round TKO win over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300, positioning himself for another shot at Pereira.
In addition to the main event changes, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill is now out of his co-main event bout with Carlos Ulberg due to a knee injury. Ulberg, who replaced Khalil Rountree after Rountree failed a drug test, will now face UFC veteran and former title challenger Anthony Smith. However, this fight has been moved out of the co-main event slot.
The new co-main event will see fast-rising Diego Lopes, who recently defeated Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300, take on perennial contender Brian Ortega. Lopes, ranked No. 14, is viewed as a legitimate title contender, while Ortega, ranked No. 3, risks his title shot chances with a loss. Ortega has previously competed for the 145-pound title twice, losing to Max Holloway at UFC 231 and Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266.
Anthony Smith steps in to face Ulberg following a first-round submission victory over Vitor Petrino at UFC 301. Smith took little damage in that fight, positioning him to replace Hill.
Despite the absence of McGregor, whose influence in the sport is unmatched, the UFC has managed to assemble a solid main card under challenging circumstances.
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Brian Mazique
Brian Mazique
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Since 2011, I have covered video games and combat sports. I've written for Bleacher Report, The Ring, Mic, and co-founded the combat sports YouTube channel... Read More
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