UFC 303: Alex Pereira replaces injured Conor McGregor at UFC 303 in Las Vegas
After two weeks of speculation, Conor McGregor is officially out of UFC 303, but has been replaced by another huge star.
UFC 303 is in turmoil after Conor McGregor’s long awaited return was postponed due to injury.
McGregor was scheduled to fight for the first time in three years against Michael Chandler, but the fight is off after the Irishman picked up an injury in training camp.
The new main event sees light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira defend his title against Jiri Prochazka in a rematch of their UFC 295 showdown in New York last year.
The co-main event, featuring Kiwi star Carlos Ulberg has also suffered a hit, with former light-heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill out injured.
UFC 303: Pereira vs Prochazka | SUN 30 JUNE 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View
Ulberg will now face Anthony Smith, with the bout moved down the card.
The new main event sees featherweight veteran Brian Ortega taking on rising star Diego Lopes.
The UFC is expected to rebook the hugely anticipated McGregor-Chandler showdown for later in the year.
Chandler hasn’t fought since November 2022 as he waits for a huge payday opposite McGregor.
Alarm bells first started ringing two weeks ago when McGregor pulled out of a press conference in Dublin.
McGregor’s absence is a huge blow for the UFC, with a reported $20 million worth of tickets sold.
The hastily made new main event sees Pereira’s phenomenal run continue.
The Brazilian won the light-heavyweight title in November with a second round knockout of Prochazka. He defended the title with a first round finish of Hill in the UFC 300 blockbuster just two months ago.
‘Poatan’ has been in Australia for the last 10 days on a speaking and appearance tour. He told this masthead last weekend that he was interested in fighting in Perth at UFC 305 in August, before McGregor officially pulled out.
A teammate of Israel Adesanya, Ulberg had been catapulted into the co-main event after a run of impressive performances in the UFC.
His new opponent, Anthony Smith, is coming off a win over Vitor Petrino in May, and challenged Jon Jones for the 205-pound title in 2019.
Earlier -
Robert Whittaker has a new opponent for his June 23 main event in Saudi Arabia, after Khamzat Chimaev was dramatically pulled from the UFC’s debut event in Riyadh due to health concerns.
Whittaker will now face the 16-1 Ikram Aliskerov in the hastily made new main event.
UFC 303: MCGREGOR VS CHANDLER | SUN 30 JUNE 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View
Aliskerov has only fought twice before in the UFC, but the only defeat of his professional career was to Chimaev in 2019 in Brave CF.
The 31-year-old Dagestani has multiple gold medals in combat sambo, and trained under Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legendary father, Abdulmanap.
Aliskerov knocked out Phil Hawes in his UFC debut at UFC 288. It was an impressive enough performance to see him book a fight with veteran Paulo Costa, although that bout was eventually scrapped.
“Unfortunately, Khamzat Chimaev is out of his fight next weekend in Saudi Arabia,” UFC president Dana White said. “He is violently – and I mean violently – ill, so he’s going back home and hopefully he gets well soon.
“The replacement is Ikram Aliskerov. This guy is 15-1, and his only loss in his 16-fight career is to Khamzat Chimaev.
“This dude is a legit contender in only his third UFC fight.
“If he gets a knockout against Robert Whittaker, he’ll go into a tie for the longest active UFC knockout streak. He’s got seven first round finishes, six wins by knockout, five by submission.
“This guy has finished 11 of 15 wins, he’s on a seven-fight win streak.
“We offered everybody in the division this fight. Nobody would take it, except for Robert Whittaker.
“The main event is bad ass. This should be a great fight.”
The Whittaker-Chimaev showdown had been billed as a number one contender fight for the middleweight title.
Alarm bells started ringing this week when images surfaced on social media of Chimaev in hospital.
His withdrawal from the UFC’s much-hyped first trip to Saudi Arabia next weekend continues a chaotic few weeks, with serious question marks still hanging over Conor McGregor’s appearance at UFC 303 on June 29.
In his first fight in three years, McGregor is scheduled to face Michael Chandler in the main event, but pulled out of a press conference in Dublin earlier this month.
Since then, rumours have swirled about an injury to the Irishman, and the UFC is currently looking into replacement fights for UFC 303.
Originally published as UFC 303: Alex Pereira replaces injured Conor McGregor at UFC 303 in Las Vegas
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