Conor McGregor’ ‘s pinky toe has caused him big problems over the years.
‘Notorious’ recently withdrew from a comeback fight against Michael Chandler, which was supposed to headline UFC 303 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
McGregor vs Chandler is expected to be rebooked for later this yearCredit: Getty
McGregor pulled out of the bout after breaking the little toe on his left foot. It was the same one that he blamed his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.
“You must understand my foot was a balloon when I walked into that fight,” he said during an interview with ESPN a year after his four-round submission defeat at UFC 229.
“I’ve got all this footage backed up from that entire camp. I broke my foot three weeks out from that fight. My foot was a balloon.”
“My toes came out of the socket and a guy had to come into the cage and break them back into place, the thing ballooned out and I hobbled in there and walked him down and did not give two s***s.
“That was with a bad camp. That was with a half-committed camp.”
‘Notorious’ hurt his toes during a sparring sessionCredit: Netflix
McGregor was in agonyCredit: Netflix
Although McGregor claimed to have footage documenting his UFC 229 injury, he never released it and some people thought he was just making up an excuse.
However, five years later, a four-part series following his life was released on Netflix in May 2023 and shows the moment he injured his foot.
Video released on NETFLIX of Conor McGregor’s toe break whilst preparing for Khabib 🤕 #McGregorForever pic.twitter.com/Mk8viZtVYR
— FIGHTING LTD (@fighting_ltd) May 17, 2023
The 35-year-old was taken to the floor by a sparring partner before the session came to a halt as he alerted his team to a potential issue.
“My toes are f***ed,” McGregor says before getting up and hobbling away while angrily shouting expletives as his coach speculates about a potential dislocation.
The UFC star was hesitant to let his team try againCredit: Netflix
He was pleasantly surprised when his toe popped back into placeCredit: Netlfix
“This is bad, isn’t it? Why’s it like that? I’ve taken a lot more than that,” he adds after sitting on a set of stairs and taking off his training gear to get a better look at the damage.
A member of McGregor’s team decides his little toe is dislocated and tries to put it back into place but the UFC star screams in pain before bailing from the scene.
After the Irishman settles on a couch his team once again implores him to reset it as soon as possible but he is hesitant after a painful failed first attempt.
“You tried to do it and you couldn’t do it,” McGregor said through gritted teeth.
McGregor stopped training barefoot after getting advice from UFC doctorsCredit: Netflix
One week before UFC 229, he was feeling much better about his injuryCredit: Netflix
‘Mystic Mac’ eventually allows them to try again and after a moment of pain it pops back into place and McGregor’s entire demeanour changes as he says, ‘That was light work!’
He continued: “It feels ok. It’s a couple of toes. I’ve f***ed up my ligament nine days before on my knee before fights. It’s a couple of toes. I’ll still smack the man.”
McGregor linked up with the UFC doctors when he touched down in Las Vegas two weeks before his fight with Nurmagomedov and was advised to wear shoes during his training sessions.
A week later, he hooked up with the UFC doctor again and appeared to be feeling much better about his foot injury after getting treatment on it.
McGregor’s rivalry with Nurmagomedov rages on six years laterCredit: Getty
And he’s still having problems with injuriesCredit: @thenotoriousmma – x
McGregor said: “It feels way better! It feels like it’s gone.”
However, the injury reared its ugly head on fight night, and ‘Mystic Mac’ used it to demand a rematch after falling short against Nurmagomedov.
‘The Eagle’ retired in 2020 without facing McGregor again.
McGregor and Nurmagomedov’s rivalry remains intact five years after their fight and they continue to fire sporadic shots at each other on social media.
The former dual-weight champion hasn’t fought since breaking his leg during a trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
Leg and foot injuries have blighted McGregor’s MMA careerCredit: Getty
A toe injury is typically something he would fight through, but he wants to be 100 per cent whenever he squares off against Chandler.
“If I was any one of these other little bums who can’t move, have no footwork and don’t rely on their skills, then I would be okay,” McGregor said at Bellator Dublin on Saturday night.
“I’ve done it before. I’ve made the walk a multitude of times under those circumstances and given these bums an advantage over me that they don’t even deserve.
“Now, I’m dialling it in. I’m getting this training camp correct and I’m walking into there 100 per cent Conor McGregor. Injury free.
“Perfection is on the menu.”