Michael Chandler is understandably frustrated with the way his fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 303 played out but has no negative emotions towards his opponent. After attempting to set up a fight with ‘The Notorious’ for nearly two years, the two former champions will again have to wait for their fight due to an injury.
Two days after the fight was officially canceled by the UFC, McGregor issued a statement on his initial reaction to his withdrawal. Chandler reacted to the social media post with gratitude and sympathy for his rival.
Michael Chandler Responds to Conor McGregor’s Tweet
No hard feelings. Heal up. My heart is full. See you soon.
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) June 15, 2024
Following up on Dana White’s announcement, Conor McGregor addressed his removal from UFC 303 by confirming he had suffered an injury and shining light on his current state. Chandler was amongst the first to reply to the post, wishing his foe a quick recovery and letting McGregor know that he has “no hard feelings.”
Chandler replied:
“No hard feelings. Heal up. My heart is full. See you soon.”
The UFC is reportedly working on re-booking the fight at a later date but the severity of McGregor’s injury was not disclosed, thus giving little indication of an expected recovery timeline. Many are not optimistic about the fight’s potential due to the lengthy period it took to materialize the first time.
Michael Chandler’s Initial Reaction to the UFC 303 Announcement
Of the millions of fans who were disappointed by the official announcement of Conor McGregor’s injury, none were in a worse position than Michael Chandler. After losing nearly two full years of his athletic career, the big-money fight he had been chasing slipped through his fingers at the last second.
The day after the announcement was confirmed, Chandler reacted to the news by posting a video of himself taking a drink of tequila on social media while declaring that he was “back on hiatus.” The video was also used to promote his sponsorship with Hiatus Tequila as a direct pun.
Putting his frustration with the situation aside, ‘Iron’ appears to be adamant about the fight eventually coming to fruition. At 38 years old, Chandler figured to have just a few more fights left in his career and continues to eye the biggest payday of his life to cap off a highly successful combat sports tenure.
Attempts to Re-Book Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
Having come so close to finally putting the fight together, the UFC is intent on keeping the matchup between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler intact. Early reports have claimed that the promotion is targeting a date in the fall to re-book the fight but is struggling to find a pay-per-view event for the fight to headline.
Multiple sources have confirmed that the UFC does not want the fight headlining their fight card at The Sphere in Las Vegas, which is expected to be UFC 306. Dana White claimed to have already invested several millions of dollars in the event and does not want to re-construct it for the sake of McGregor vs. Chandler.
With the other pay-per-view events in the surrounding months already containing plans from the company, some have suggested that the UFC is looking at potentially creating another event for the sole purpose of finding a place to book the matchup. All indications point to the fight occurring in the fall as White has said to desire but no official date has been released as of mid-June.
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana by way of Honolulu, Hawaii with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst. Follow on X/Twitter at @jarenkawada1 or on Instagram at @kawadajaren.
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