UFC 303: McGregor Out, Volkanovski Overlooked for Headliner Replacement

Australian UFC fighter Alexander Volkanovski, known for his impressive performance, has not been chosen as a late replacement for the headlining fight at UFC 303 after the news broke that Irish superstar Conor McGregor is sidelined due to injury.

In a surprising turn of events surrounding McGregor’s fighting future, UFC president Dana White announced on Friday that the highly anticipated headliner between McGregor and Michael Chandler is cancelled for the UFC 303 event.

Instead, the main event will feature UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira defending his title against Jiri Procházka in a much-anticipated rematch. The co-main event will showcase a featherweight bout between Brian Ortega and the emerging star Diego Lopes.

Furthermore, White revealed that American fighter Jamahal Hill withdrew from the event due to a knee injury, leading to New Zealand’s Carlos Ulberg stepping in to face light heavyweight favorite Anthony Smith.

These developments come shortly after Alexander Volkanovski, the former UFC featherweight champion from Australia, offered to step in and face Chandler if McGregor was unable to compete.

Volkanovski had previously filled in on short notice in a fight against UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev last year but was defeated by a brutal head kick in the first round.

In his response to the situation this week, Volkanovski expressed his readiness to replace McGregor, moving up in weight to fight Chandler. Despite his confidence in his abilities, the UFC opted to reshuffle the card by removing both McGregor and Chandler and making changes to the co-main event as well.

While McGregor’s absence is certainly disappointing for fans, Pereira’s remarkable journey to stardom has elevated him as a superstar in the UFC after claiming both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles. His last victory at UFC 295 boosting his reputation even further.

Volkanovski recently faced a setback in losing the UFC featherweight title to Ilia Topuria but is preparing for a comeback later this year following a training camp in Thailand. He remained committed to stepping in on short notice, demonstrating his unwavering determination to compete at the highest level.

The former champion underlined his desire for a rematch with Topuria and emphasized his readiness to return to the Octagon for his next fight this year, indicating a strong desire to reclaim his title and demonstrate his fighting prowess.