With Conor McGregor's highly anticipated return to the octagon just weeks away, and the sudden cancellation of the UFC 303 press conference in Dublin has ignited a heated debate about his commitment and readiness.
Appearing on a recent episode of their 'Good Guy/Bad Guy' podcast hosts Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier discussed what might be the potential reason behind the last-minute cancellation of the presser.
Sharing his thoughts, Sonnen offered a contrarian perspective. He suggested McGregor might be prioritizing training over media obligations:
"From what I have right now, I kind of don’t agree with the speculation. I think perhaps Conor McGregor for the first time ever is starting to focus. People love to use that word, they talk about focus, I don’t know if people know what that means. It means you say ‘no’ a lot more than you used to. You’re looking at one thing and you’re telling people ‘no’ when you’re getting these call."
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He further added saying:
"Don’t forget, as we’re looking at the clues, there’s one more big one, which is Conor did not just cancel the Ireland press conference, he canceled all media that’s already been agreed to leading up to this contest, which makes me think, quite possibly, our Irish star is starting to focus.”
However, Cormier remains skeptical. He highlights the inconvenience caused to fans who planned to travel for the press conference and Dana White's usual commitment to delivering for fans. Cormier suggests the tight-lipped response from the UFC might indicate a bigger issue.
Cormier said:
"Start to brace yourself a little bit for disappointment. Look, I have reached out to many in the organization to try and find out what happened, and when everybody is tight-lipped as they are right now, to me that tells me it's a little worrisome."
Check out Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier's discussion on the matter below:
UFC scrambles for backup as Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler fight faces uncertainty
Uncertainty surrounds Conor McGregor's highly anticipated return to the octagon at UFC 303. MMA insider Ariel Helwani reported that while the UFC hopes the fight with Michael Chandler goes ahead, they are exploring backup options.
Via his official X handle, Helwani reported:
"No news at the moment. The hope is still that the fight is on. There is positivity, I'd say. But they have sent out feelers to see who might be able to fill in, either as a replacement or an entirely new fight at the top of the bill. Still developing, and still some time.”
Check out Ariel Helwani's post below: