Chapfallen Conor McGregor in ‘deep mental pain’ watching UFC 303 soldier on without him

The show must go on.

Former two-division champion, Conor McGregor, was supposed to headline the upcoming UFC 303 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for this Sat. night (June 29, 2024) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Instead, he’ll watch from the sidelines with a broken toe (and broken heart).

“I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t in deep pain right now watching fight week take place,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “Deep mental pain. Thank you for the messages of support and encouragement, my peers and fans.”

If McGregor is in deep mental pain, imagine how Michael Chandler must feel.

In his absence, the promotion enlisted UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira — currently dealing with his own broken toe — to defend his 205-pound strap against former division titleholder Jiri Prochazka.

A timeline for McGregor’s (eventual) return has yet to be determined.

LIVE! Watch UFC 303 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

’McGREGOR-FREE MAIN EVENT! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., June 29, 2024, without its biggest box office draw, Conor McGregor, after the Irish sports star delayed the “greatest comeback of all-time” because he broke his pinky toe (seriously). Coming the rescue once again is Light Heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, agreeing to rematch former division champion, Jiri Prochazka, in the pay-per-view (PPV) main event. In UFC 303’s co-headliner, top-ranked Featherweight contender, Brian Ortega, will attempt to halt the rise of red-hot surging 145-pound prospect, Diego Lopes. UFC 303’s PPV main card (see it here) will also feature Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze and Ian Garry vs. Michael “Venom” Page and so much more. It’s must-watch action! UFC 303 start time scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (Prelims) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV).

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 303 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the UFC 303 PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 303: “Pereira vs. Prochazka 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 303 fight card and PPV lineup click here.