'No hard feelings'... Michael Chandler reacts to Conor McGregor's first statement after UFC 303 fight canceled (2024)

Michael Chandler has finally spoken out for the first time since his fight with Conor McGregor was canceled this week.

The former Bellator champion was due to face his long-time rival in Las Vegas on June 29 as the main event of UFC 303. However, on Thursday night promoter Dana White appeared in a social media video to announce that the fight was being replaced by Alex Pereira’s rematch with Jiri Prochazka.

Chandler and McGregor signed up to fight one another in February of 2023, and even coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter last season. But their own date was consistently pushed back until this summer, and now has been postponed indefinitely.

• FIRST COMMENT: Conor McGregor breaks his silence with first statement since pulling out of UFC 303

Michael Chandler declares he is ‘most reliable man in MMA’ after Conor McGregor fight is canceled

After initially sharing a video of himself pouring a large serving of his Hiatus Tequila, Michael Chandler finally made a true social media statement on Saturday evening. Having waited patiently for the best part of two years since his last outing, he noted that he would still be there when needed.

“I’m here,” he wrote in a tweet that began with a prefix that it was his ‘official statement’. “Just as in 2009 when I started. The most reliable man in MMA. See you when I see you.” He then replied to Conor McGregor’s apology tweet by saying: “No hard feelings. Heal up. My heart is full. See you soon.”

A statement from Chandler’s sponsor MegaFit Meals which he collaborated with on Instagram was wrongly attributed to him as his first statement. The post, which he simply re-shared to his followers, read: “@thenotoriousmma was never the safe bet as an opponent, he was always the highest risk.

“Maybe the highest reward… but the biggest opportunity. There is no right or wrong in business… you only take risk to grow, or remain comfortable where you are. Embrace the uncertainty. See the opportunity. Take calculated risk…

“That’s what @mikechandlermma does. And if it doesn’t go as planned… redirect the course to something even greater. Our respect to the man who represents the fight world better than anyone we’ve ever known.

“NO FEAR. NO LIMITS. NO EXCUSES. Make hard work your passion – who cares who’s on the other side of the punch.”

The last time Chandler was inside the octagon was November of 2022 when he was stopped by Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in Madison Square Garden. Both men earned Fight of the Night bonuses for their performances.

And while his rival went on to fight for the BMF and eventually undisputed world titles in the time since, he has been on the sidelines waiting for McGregor. It seemed the fight was made last year, but now over a year later, he seems no closer to that big money fight.

Conor McGregor makes first post after pulling out of UFC 303 main event with Michael Chandler

Chandler’s post was the latest from the big players involved, with his rival McGregor and promotional boss Dana White both making comments after the fact. The Irishman had never previously pulled out of a fight with an injury in his UFC career, but was forced out this week.

After two days of inactivity, McGregor took to social media, writing to his 55million+ fans: “Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout. I picked up an injury prior to the press conference that required more time to heal than was available to me.

“The decision to postpone the fight was not made lightly, but one made in consultation with my doctors, the UFC, and my team. My fans and opponent deserve me at my best for this fight and we will get there! Thank you for the messages of support, I am in good spirits and confident I’ll be back!”

Michael Chandler defended Conor McGregor’s track record hours before UFC 303 cancellation

The drama surrounding UFC 303 began on June 3 when, with hours before doors were due to open, the promotion canceled a launch press conference for the fight at Dublin’s 3Arena. Over 10,000 fans were expected at the iconic Irish venue, but the event was called off at the last minute.

From there, speculation ran rampant, with McGregor stoking the flames as he shared a photo of himself in what appeared to be a doctor’s office. There was optimism for a few days that he would be able to recover in time from his injury, but that quickly disappeared before Thursday’s announcement.

However, Chandler stayed positive until the bitter end, defending both of their records for never avoiding a fight on Thursday. He wrote: “#mmafactoftheday – Amount of times these fighters have pulled out of fights in their entire careers. Conor McGregor – 0 Michael Chandler – 0.”

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