UFC CEO Dana White has officially announced that Conor McGregor will return to headline UFC 303 on June 29 against Michael Chandler at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for International Fight Week. The fight will be fought at welterweight, and it will be tough for any event to follow UFC 300. UFC 301 on May 4 will see Alexandre Pantoja defending his men’s flyweight title against Steve Erceg. Even if Alex Pereira is allowed to compete as a heavyweight in Brazil, it won’t match the hype of UFC 300. In June, UFC 302 will take place in Newark on June 1, with Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the main event and Sean Strickland facing Paulo Costa in the co-main event.
McGregor, a former featherweight and lightweight champion, has headlined some of the UFC’s highest-grossing events. UFC 303 could rival the hype of UFC 300 simply because of McGregor’s presence. The UFC will need a solid co-main event and potentially another world-title fight scheduled to bolster the card. International Fight Week has a history of producing star-studded events, so fans can expect some exciting matchups in addition to McGregor-Chandler. While there won’t be a title on the line for McGregor’s fight, there is potential for at least one championship fight to be added to the card.
The matchup between Makhachev and Poirier at UFC 302 is highly anticipated, with Makhachev being the pound-for-pound king and Poirier being one of the sport’s most popular fighters. The Strickland-Costa fight could also lead to a title shot for Strickland if he emerges victorious. The combination of these two key fights sets the stage for an eventful night of action for UFC 302. Fans can expect more information on both UFC 302 and 303 to be released as the events draw closer. With McGregor’s return and exciting matchups on the horizon, it is shaping up to be an eventful summer for UFC fans.
