International Fight Week was meant to mark the triumphant return of Conor McGregor, fighting his first fight in three years. The buzz was palpable, and fans were eager to see McGregor return after a long recovery from a hamstring injury. But just as the excitement was building, McGregor suddenly injured his pinky toe, throwing a wrench into the systems and setting up a chaotic chain of events for UFC champions Hunter Campbell and Dana White.
Another plan
Having taken McGregor off the table once more, Hunter Campbell and White had the difficult chore of rescuing the event. It was a logistical nightmare from the start of what started out as an amazing night of combat. The problem was made worse by further obstacles. Fights on the card were postponed and canceled, which left Campbell and Shweatt scrambling to put together possible lineups.
Co-main event crisis
As if the McGregor situation weren’t enough, the co-main event faced its own problems. Jamahal Hill was set to face Carlos Ulberg, but Hill’s withdrawal due to injury forced another change. Anthony Smith was sent to fight Ulberg, but the gods of war were not on his side. Ulberg was injured just a week before the fight, forcing another bout to be cancelled.
Co-main event crisis
The co-main event also had issues, as if the McGregor predicament wasn’t enough. Carlos Ulberg was scheduled to face Jamahal Hill; however, Hill’s injury caused another change. Though sent to battle Ulberg, Anthony Smith did not have the support of the gods of war. It was necessary to postpone another fight due to Ulberg’s injury, which occurred just one week prior to the fight.
To salvage the primary event in which they are involved, Campbell and White made yet another significant alteration. When Diego Lopes was supposed to fight Brian Ortega, everything went terribly wrong. Ortega had to leave the bout because he had a high fever (103 degrees Celsius) the day before the fight. The chaos of the battle card increased with this last-minute cancellation.
Last minute rescue
Faced with another setback, Campbell and White had to act quickly. In a last-minute defense, Dan Ige was brought in to fight Lopes in the lightweight division. The UFC’s matchmakers were back on their toes, trying to take over the card and looking forward to another exciting night of fights for the fans.
Campbell’s Tired Thoughts
Hunter Campbell had to deal with a mad rush of last-minute changes and revisions. It was clear that he was worn out after a tough defense of UFC 303 when a fan asked him what he thought of the brutal event. In answer, he said, “I’m ready to go to bed tonight,” implying that he was feeling dejected and disappointed. Campbell’s remark revealed how stressed out the UFC matchmaker team is. It wasn’t meant to be an entertaining card, but they managed to make it look that way in spite of the difficulties. The finished product clearly shows the team’s hard work and devotion.
