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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
Conor McGregor expressed confidence Saturday that he will still face Michael Chandler in the Octagon at some point, although he did not provide any indication as to when.
The Irish superstar was forced to withdraw from a non-title welterweight bout against Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29 in Las Vegas with an undisclosed injury. On Saturday, McGregor (22-6) confirmed he suffered an injury earlier this month but added that he is “confident” he will be back.
“Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “I picked up an injury prior to the [scheduled news conference June 3] 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!”
UFC CEO Dana White, who announced McGregor’s withdrawal from the fight Thursday, has not mentioned a new time frame for the fight. Chandler (23-8) has not fought since November 2021, in part because he has been waiting for the McGregor fight to materialize.
This is the first time McGregor has pulled out of a fight for any reason. The former two-weight UFC champion will turn 36 in July. He has not fought since he suffered a broken leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.