Conor McGregor apologises for cancelled media event on upcoming ...
Conor McGregor issued an apology for the late cancellation of a UFC 303 press event in Dublin on Monday, as he attempted to alleviate concerns that his fight at the event would not go ahead in Las Vegas this month.
A pre-fight press conference with McGregor and Michael Chandler was scheduled for Monday at 3Arena with tickets snapped up by fans, but the UFC announced its postponement 12 hours before it was set to begin, sparking fears the fight will be cancelled.
On Monday, McGregor issued a statement about the change of plans but indicated the June 29 bout against Michael Chandler will continue as scheduled.
“In consultation with the UFC, today’s press conference was cancelled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control,” McGregor said in a statement on social media. “I apologise to my Irish fans, and fans around the world, for the inconvenience and appreciate all your passion and support. I can’t wait to put on the greatest all-time show in the Octagon.”
As recently as Saturday, UFC CEO Dana White indicated the event was still a go. White said he was flying to Dublin immediately after Saturday’s UFC 302 so he could meet with McGregor on Sunday.
Dana White announces Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler press conference in Dublin
It’s unclear if that meeting occurred. According to Canadian-American journalist Ariel Helwani, Chandler was informed of the cancellation Sunday morning and did not travel to Dublin.
McGregor and Chandler agreed to face each other since they were chosen as coaches for season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, in what would be the return to the octagon of 'The Notorious', who fought for the last time in July 2021, when he suffered a fractured leg against Dustin Poirier.
It was speculated that the fight between McGregor and Chandler would be part of the UFC 300 card, but the Irishman's health prevented it, and it was decided to give them the star position at UFC 303, scheduled for June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
No specific reason was given for the cancellation of the event at the 3Arena, but McGregor's presence was still felt online on Sunday, with some bizarre posts on Facebook coming from his account, attacking Guinness and its founder Arthur Guinness on a community page dedicated to the world-famous beverage.
McGregor has his own Forged stout and his Facebook account was used as a platform to make derogatory comments.
One post read: "Greedy robbing b******s.
"Arthur Guinness was a rat for a foreign entity. Today his corporation hikes up prices every second month out of pure greed.
"Ask any of the publicans where you drink. They all despise them. Forged Stout is the working man's drink!
"Real Stout. Real prices. See you all cageside, Arthur could never."
His account also posted a screenshot of an article written in Republican newspaper An Phoblacht in 2013, into the group just on Sunday evening concerning Guinness and its founding family.
Another post read: "Forged Stout is the working man’s drink! Real Stout. Real Prices. See you all cageside, Arthur could never."
There was a post which McGregor had gone to the Guinness Storehouse – but only "for a quick s***e". A photo was then shared of a female model wearing skimpy Forged-branded clothing.
Diageo, the company that owns Guinness, have been contacted by the Irish Independent for comment.
