Conor McGregor has a new opponent for his homecoming. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Cole Miller has withdrawn from his main event clash with Conor McGregor at the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Dublin after tearing ligaments in his thumb.
Brandao recently had his own injury issues, as an undisclosed ailment forced him to pull out of a proposed matchup with Brian Ortega at the “TUF: Brazil 3” finale this past weekend. Brandao last fought in December, when he suffered a first-round knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 168.
McGregor, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the promotion’s most outspoken talents. The former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titlist is 2-0 in the Octagon, stopping Marcus Brimage in his promotional debut before outpointing Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night “Shogun vs. Sonnen” last August.
“Notorious” has high expectations for fighting in his home country.
“It’s going to be a phenomenal experience,” McGregor said during a Tuesday conference call. “I’m not sure how many people the O2 Arena holds, but I’m sure it’s going to sound like 10 times that amount are in there. I believe the roof is going to blow off the place. From the start of the show until the finish, it’s going to be something special.”