UFC President Dana White recently revealed that the upcoming clash between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler has already earned the biggest gate in the history of the promotion. The two are scheduled to face off at UFC 303 on June 29, and the hype surrounding the fight is already peaking. “The Notorious” has not stepped in the UFC octagon since he broke his leg in the fight against Dustin Piorier at UFC 264 in 2021.
The Irishman completed his rehabilitation and was then featured in season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter alongside Chandler. The show aired from May 30 to August 15, 2023. The fight between the pair has been highly anticipated since then but was officially announced by Dana White in a post-UFC 300 press conference.
White about the highly anticipated bout
White appeared in front of the media on May 11 and revealed that the McGregor vs. Chandler card already has a gate of over $20 million and it is the first time the promotion has ever achieved a gate of that size.
Originally, The Notorious was expected to face Chandler in 2023, but according to the UFC president, McGregor’s obligations surrounding the Road House movie forced the bout to be pushed to 2024.
Dana White revealed about the future of Apex Center
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UFC Apex Center saved the promotion, as they were able to host fights at the venue as early as May 2020. However, the promotion has continued to use the arena without the crowd until today, but their decision to do so has been heavily criticized by fans and they began to express their frustration last year. Some reports said that the promotion’s deal with ESPN was the main reason why the promotion still schedules fights at the Upex Center so frequently, as their contract said UFC needed to host a certain amount of shows per year.
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Following UFC St. Louis, which took place on May 11, White appeared in front of the media, where he revealed the future of the Apex Center. He said, “We gotta get out of the Apex and start doing more events in all these different cities. We’re getting it done this year.”
