Dana White: McGregor Would Not Fight in 2024
In August 2024, UFC CEO Dana White said Conor McGregor would not fight again that year, despite McGregor’s public push for a December return.
Why UFC 303 changed
McGregor and Chandler had been scheduled to headline UFC 303 on June 29, 2024. On June 13, the UFC announced McGregor’s withdrawal because of an injury, and the promotion rebuilt the card around Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. McGregor later said he had fractured a toe. The event had been expected to mark his first appearance since breaking his leg in his July 2021 trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier.
White rules out a 2024 return
After the August 13 episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, White told reporters McGregor would not fight in 2024. McGregor responded that he wanted to return in December, but White repeated that there would be no fight that year. The comments described the UFC’s plans at that time; they did not amount to a new booking or a confirmed date for McGregor’s next bout.
The fight remained unbooked
The canceled matchup with Chandler did not take place in 2024. The UFC’s schedule was already filled through the end of the year, and the promotion did not announce a replacement date for the pairing. McGregor’s return therefore remained uncertain, rather than simply being shifted to a specific event.
Sources: ESPN on White’s 2024 announcement; Reuters on McGregor’s injury and the postponement; MMA Fighting on White’s follow-up comments; UFC announcement of the UFC 303 change.
Sources
Tags: MMA
