UFC Alert: Is Conor McGregor's return at risk?

Doubts have arisen after the scheduled press conference in Dublin was cancelled.

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Concern grows in the UFC

Concern is growing in the UFC these days. Since the McGregor vs Chandler (UFC 303) press conference in Dublin was cancelled, doubts about Conor's return to the octagon have intensified. Is what has been called the greatest comeback in sports history in danger?

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What We Know So Far

At this point in the week, and although everything could change at any moment, this is what we know:

The press conference in Dublin was canceled a few hours before without an official explanation.
McGregor tweeted that the cancellation was "due to a series of obstacles beyond our control."
The UFC has removed McGregor's latest fights that it had uploaded as 'free content' from its YouTube channel.
ESPN has removed promotional videos for UFC 303.

Fan Reactions

All of this has generated suspicion among fans, especially due to McGregor's contradictory posts on social media: some showing his training in the gym and others partying at his bar. "I have no idea, I don't know if any of that is real or true or whatever. But Conor is not a dumb guy and, you know, this is obviously a great fight for him. He calls it the best comeback in the history of sports and all that," Dana White commented last Sunday at UFC 302, before the press conference was cancelled.

Conor is not a dumb guy and, you know, this is obviously a big fight for him

Official Statements

In consultation with the UFC, today's press conference was canceled due to a number of obstacles beyond our control. I apologize to my Irish fans and fans around the world for the inconvenience, and I appreciate all your passion and support. "I can't wait to put on the best show of all time in the octagon," were the words of the Irishman. UFC, meanwhile, has not made any official statement.

I can't wait to put on the best show of all time in the octagon

Comments by Ariel Helwani

Ariel Helwani, from the United States, one of the best-informed journalists about the 'UFC world', has left some clues: "No news at the moment. The hope remains that the fight continues. There is positivity, I would say. But they have probed to see who could replace him, either as a replacement or as a completely new fight at the top of the card. Still in development and there is still some time.

Final Considerations

There are positive points... and negative points. If you are looking for a replacement it is because there are doubts. And nothing, evidently, could fill the void that McGregor's absence would leave. The event (which will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas) is for him. Not even a Chandler vs Oliveira (the possible replacement) would generate as much as what the Irish generates. UFC 303 is on track to be the best-selling PPV in history and the box office has already exceeded $20 million (a historical record). How does that hold up without Conor?

Meanwhile, Helwani issues a warning: McGregor has never pulled out of a scheduled UFC fight. You have to trust that.