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Featured Image Credit: Getty/The MMA Hour
Topics: Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler, UFC
Nasir Jabbar
Ariel Helwani has cleared the air regarding Conor McGregor's comeback fight against Michael Chandler following the UFC 303 media event cancellation.
A UFC 303 pre-fight press conference between McGregor and Chandler was due to take place on Monday in Dublin, Ireland.
But the presser, which was open to the public, was abruptly postponed as McGregor took to social media to release a statement about the sudden cancellation.
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Chandler, who found out about the news before he was set to fly out, also spoke out.
Concerns have been raised over the status of McGregor vs. Chandler at UFC 303.
But, as of now, their highly-anticipated welterweight showdown is still ON, according to Helwani.
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Speaking on his podcast The MMA Hour, he began: "Here's what I do know. Here is what I can tell you.
"I see a lot of people wondering what it could be."
Helwani continued: "I could tell you right now with 100% certainty, confirmed, 1000%, that nothing with regards to any sort of legal issue, incident of any kind, drama of any kind, criminal thing of any kind, fight of any kind, alcohol, this, that, like, none of that is at play here.
"There's nothing regarding any sort of drug testing or anti-doping or anything like that."
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Helwani added: "I can tell you that the press conference was postponed today due to an issue that has precluded it from happening," before concluding: "As of this second, June 29 is still on."
So, as things stand, McGregor's eagerly-awaited Octagon return is not in danger of collapsing despite the UFC 303 media event cancellation.
He's set to make his first UFC appearance since July 2021 when he suffered a crushing defeat to Dustin Poirier.
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Chandler, on the other hand, is also coming off a defeat to Poirier, having lost their UFC 281 bout by submission.