(Reuters) – Conor McGregor said on Saturday an injury sustained while preparing for his fight against Michael Chandler in UFC 303 led him to postpone the bout, but he still wants the fight to happen.
UFC President Dana White said on Thursday the Irishman would not fight in the main event of the June 29 card, with a rematch between light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka set to headline instead.
The announcement came after a press conference for the event was called off by UFC this month.
"Very tough to be ruled out of my scheduled return bout," McGregor said in an Instagram post. "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!"
Former featherweight and lightweight champion McGregor has not fought since his TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, in which he sustained fractures to his left tibia and fibula that required surgery.