UFC 303 has been hit by a lot of disruptions since Conor McGregor withdrew from the main event card. The former UFC champion was scheduled to make his return to the Octagon after a three-year hiatus against Michael Chandler on June 29. However, the Irishman had to rule out the highly anticipated bout. Now a new date will be decided for his clash with Chandler.
UFC 303 card is now completely rearranged
After McGregor’s exit, UFC President Dana White quickly rearranged the event card. Now UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will face Jiri Prochazka in a rematch of their controversial bout at UFC 295 last November. In addition, a featherweight clash between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes has been added as the co-main event. White has also chosen to replace Jamahal Hill with Anthony Smith in his fight against Carlos Ulberg. However, Ulberg, who replaced Khalil Rountree Jr. has also withdrawn from UFC 303. He suffered an injury during his training camp.
Ulberg also withdrew from UFC 303
The light-heavyweight fighter confirmed the news on social media and stated that his medical team has advised him that he needs a longer period of time to recover from the injury. This setback has cost the Kiwi fighter the biggest fight of his career to date and a chance to capitalize on the momentum gained from his impressive 12-second knockout win over Alonzo Menifield and solidify his status as a title contender. The promotion is now struggling to find a last-minute replacement for the bout against Anthony Smith.
The event still has some exciting matchups
Despite the setbacks, UFC 303 still has some exciting matchups lined up. The event will feature a rematch between the current Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka. Ortega vs. Lopes is another interesting matchup. In addition, the card also has a welterweight bout between Michael Page and Ian Gary. This turmoil has led to a restructured lineup at UFC 303, hoping to maintain its appeal despite losing its original main and co-main events.
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