We are less than 48 hours removed from UFC 300, one of the most exciting fight cards in recent history, and at the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White was interrupted mid interview with some very exciting announcements. But most of all, was the official announcement of Conor McGregor returning to the octagon to face Michael Chandler on June 29, 2024 at UFC 303 in Las Vegas. And they will be fighting at Welterweight (170 pounds), one weight class north of their usual Lightweight (155 pounds).
McGregor and Chandler co-hosted UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, together last year from May-August in 2023, and as is customary for the opposing teams, the captains face each other at the end. But such was not the case in this instance, as McGregor, amongst his slew of other business obligations, was also filming for the recently released Roadhouse alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
As White said in the interview, it wasn’t about McGregor not wanting to fight, but rather that he could not give full dedication to a training camp due to other obligations.
Adding to the exciting news, White announced a Lightweight championship bout between current champion, Islam Makhachev, and Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in Newark, NJ on June 1. Makhachev, who is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s prodigy, recently knocked out Alexander Volkanovski in Abu Dhabi last October, and the organisation will be returning to Abu Dhabi’s fight island yet again on October 26, 2024, for UFC 308, although no official fight card has been announced.
“We are thrilled to be hosting another exhilarating UFC event in Abu Dhabi,” said Saleh Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi. “Over the past five years, the UAE capital has staged unforgettable fights and witnessed the rise of champions, leaving an everlasting memory for fans around the region and the world. I personally cannot wait to experience UFC 308 firsthand, which further underlines Abu Dhabi’s status as the international fight capital.”
UFC and Starzplay announce exclusive broadcast partnership for the Middle East and North Africa
Starzplay will stream every UFC event live, including all the preliminary bouts, so fans in the region won’t miss a second of action. In addition to presenting all UFC events live, STARZPLAY will also produce localised Arabic-language content and provide hours of additional UFC content on demand, such as preview shows and original programs, including UFC countdown and UFC connected.
