Just over one week after his much-anticipated return at UFC 303 was scrapped, Conor McGregor shared Friday it was a broken toe he suffered in training that forced his main event fight with Michael Chandler to be canceled.
“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,” McGregor said in an Instagram post. “It needs a few weeks that’s it.”
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McGregor also shared photos and an X-ray on X of his broken toe, the left pinky, on the same leg he broke during his fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021. McGregor’s X post was directed at MMA analyst Chael Sonnen, who recently suggested McGregor pulled out of the bout with Chandler due to being in rehab for substance abuse.
Chael shut your pie hole, hoe. You tap from ground and pound. pic.twitter.com/456tZnEnYI
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 21, 2024
The timeline of needing a few weeks to recover would align with previous reports that the UFC is eying dates in August or September to reschedule the bout.
McGregor did suggest at the end of his post that the return bout could be against a different opponent, writing “See ya at the top. Chandler or not.”
The injury specifics also help explain why the UFC canceled a prefight news conference in Dublin at the last minute earlier this month, as McGregor would have likely been on crutches or heavily limping due to the injury.
“Man we were so f—ing super ready for this fight, it is absolutely gut wrenching to take,” McGregor said.
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“I couldn’t justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk (to the octagon) hindered again. That walk has been seen. This next walk has got to be, and it will be, 100 percent Conor McGregor. The fans deserve it and we are getting close.”
The former two-division champion included the hashtag #McGTheRealBMF at the end of his post, leaving some fans wondering if he was hinting at a potential fight with BMF champion Max Holloway. McGregor and Holloway first fought in 2013, before either fighter reached championship status.
After sharing the photos and X-ray of his broken toe, McGregor shared two posts on X about the big-money appeal the fight with Chandler still has. The Irishman argued Chandler would make more in one fight with McGregor than he would in 10 fights with anyone else.
For those saying he could have fought 2 or 3 times by now etc. He’d need 10 to break even with this cheque.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 21, 2024
“A slight lapse in concentration and a nuisance of an injury was picked up. That’s it. Take the lesson and move forward. I will get this back. I’ve got too,” McGregor said on Instagram.
“I’ve got two fights left on my contract. I’ve got Bugattis and more yachts on my mind. I’m coming to shine. I gotta just take my time. Cos I still got yachts and Bentleys and mansions and all the rest. Ya know yaself. But ya get me, I’ll be back. See ya’s soon. See ya at the top. Chandler or not.”
GO DEEPERConor McGregor 'confident' he'll fight againIn place of the original main event at UFC 303, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will be stepping in to face Jiří Procházka. The co-main event on the card was also changed to a bout between featherweight contenders Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes.
The cancellation of the original main event comes after weeks of speculation that the bout could fall through, and follows years of anticipation for McGregor’s return. The former two-division champion hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in the first round of a loss to Poirier in 2021.
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That loss was McGregor’s second straight to Poirier. The 35-year-old Irishman has just one win since 2016.
Chandler hasn’t fought since late 2022, as he bided his time in preparation to fight McGregor, which would certainly represent the biggest payday of his career. The 38-year-old former Bellator champion is also coming off a loss to Poirier.
Required reading
- Conor McGregor out of UFC 303 due to injury; Alex Pereira will star in new main event
- Conor McGregor sheds light on injury, ‘confident’ he’ll fight again after UFC 303 cancellation
(Photo: Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC)
Mark Puleo is a News Staff Editor at The Athletic. Before joining The Athletic, Mark covered breaking weather news as a digital journalist and front page digital editor with AccuWeather. He is a graduate of Penn State University and its John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Follow Mark on Twitter @ByMarkPuleo
