MMA Pros Blast McGregor’s Toe Injury For UFC 303 Withdrawal – ‘Chicken’
MMA pros have mocked Conor McGregor after he revealed a broken toe was why he pulled out of the Michael Chandler fight.
The Notorious disappointed fans when he pulled out of the UFC 303 clash on June 29 since fans had not seen him fight since 2021. McGregor lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, breaking his leg, as he had three losses out of his last four UFC fights. Coming back from a leg injury is always going to be tough.
Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, both former world champions, were never the same after returning from their injuries. McGregor is 35 years old, meaning that inactivity will harm him more at the tail end of his career. Fighters have shown that they can fight through with injuries. Alex Pereira broke his toe when he came into the fight with Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. While that may be the case, Alex still turned up to fight. He knocked out Hill in the first round to retain his UFC Lightweight Title.
“You guys don’t know this yet, but I’ll tell you. I just found out when I went up in the Octagon because I saw [Pereira] messing around with his foot. He broke his toe two weeks ago. He fought tonight with a broken toe. I thought he broke his toe in the fight. His team was like, ‘No he broke his toe two weeks ago.’ He was like, ‘I ain’t losing this opportunity for a…pinky toe,” Dana White revealed
McGregor’s Injury
McGregor, however, did not have the same attitude.
“We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean. It needs a few weeks that’s it. I couldn’t justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk hindered again. That walk has been seen. This next walk has got to be, and it will be, 100% Conor McGregor. The fans deserve it and we are getting close,” McGregor stated
This has raised worries about whether McGregor will fight again. Chandler has stated that he is willing to consider BMF Champion Max Holloway. Blessed knocked out Justin Gaetheje with a second left in the fight at UFC 300 to win the belt. Holloway has also indicated his intention to fight McGregor. Facing Chandler would be the next best thing. It allows both fighters to remain active and the winner to face McGregor in a bigger fight since a belt would be on the line.
“I am one of the baddest dudes on the planet. I embody the BMF moniker. Obviously, I am focused on Conor (on) June 29 – I would love to smash Conor. I would love to fight Islam or Poirier or (Arman) Tsarukyan. I guess not Gaethje. Maybe not now. But whoever’s got the belt at lightweight, or I would love to fight Holloway or whoever has the BMF belt,” Chandler said
Regardless, MMA pros bashed McGregor for his withdrawal.
Pros React
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