John Kavanagh takes blame for Conor McGregor toe injury

John Kavanagh has taken full responsibility for the toe injury that forced Conor McGregor out of UFC 303 two years ago.

McGregor was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in June 2024 after coaching opposite him on The Ultimate Fighter 31, but a training mishap knocked him out of what would have been his first fight since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The injury occurred during a sparring session that doubled as filming for UFC promotional content, MMA Fighting reports.

Coach admits rushed setup led to McGregor injury

Kavanagh told The Ariel Helwani Show the session was poorly organized from the start. "I should have had the protective gear on both guys from the start," he said, per the report. "The beginning of it was a little bit rushed. It's different when you're sparring for sparring, and sparring for whatever they were, Embedded or Countdown, and it was a bit sort of haphazard."

McGregor caught his training partner's elbow awkwardly while throwing a kick in the first minute of the opening round. He whispered to Kavanagh between rounds that he thought his toe was broken, but insisted on completing all five rounds. Kavanagh tried to stop the session but McGregor pushed through on adrenaline.

The longtime Straight Blast Gym coach said he felt sick when the severity became clear. For this camp ahead of McGregor's Saturday return against Max Holloway at UFC 329, Kavanagh has been extra cautious. "Not a niggle on him, not a bump, not a bruise, 100 percent," he said.

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Morning Report: Conor McGregor coach takes blame for injury that delayed return | MMA Fighting