Fans express disappointment over ‘shocking’ McGregor vs Chandler poster for UFC 303

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are scheduled to fight on 29 June, headlining in Las Vegas

The UFC 303 poster has been unveiled ahead of Conor McGregor’s comeback fight with Michael Chandler, but fans have expressed disappointment over the design.

On 29 June, McGregor and Chandler will headline UFC 303 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, meeting in a five-round welterweight bout.

The fight will be McGregor’s first since July 2021, when the former dual-weight champion broke his leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. Six months prior, Poirier knocked out the Irishman.

Chandler’s most recent fight also came against Poirier, who submitted his fellow American in November 2022.

The UFC released the McGregor vs Chandler poster on Thursday (9 May), with one fan tweeting in response: “This poster is just shocking. And not in a good way.”

“Why does Chandler look like Bisping?” another wrote, as one of many users to suggest a similarity in appearance between Chandler and UFC legend Michael Bisping.

“UFC really phoning it in with the posters,” tweeted one fan, while another said: “Put some flavor in the posters goddamn.”

Chandler, a former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, has not fought at welterweight since 2010. The 38-year-old has fought almost exclusively at lightweight as a professional.

Meanwhile, McGregor is a former featherweight and lightweight champion, but the 35-year-old has fought at welterweight three times in the UFC. “Notorious” traded wins with Nate Diaz at 170lbs in 2016 and beat Donald Cerrone in the division in 2020.

Diaz submitted McGregor in their first clash, before the Irishman outpointed the American in their rematch. McGregor’s victory over Cerrone, also American, came via TKO after just 40 seconds.