The Nevada State Athletic Commission is refuting Conor McGregor’s claim that they were aware he had a leg injury ahead of UFC 264.
McGregor (22-6 MMA) squared off with Dustin Poirier (28-6 MMA) for a third time last weekend in Nevada, this after splitting their first two encounters.
The pair had initially collided in a featherweight contest in 2014, with the Irishman emerging victorious by way of first round knockout. McGregor and Poirier would later rematch (this time at lightweight) at UFC 257, where ‘The Diamond’ was able to exact his revenge by finishing Conor McGregor in the second round.
That of course setup Saturday’s rubber match at UFC 264. McGregor was able to get off to a quick start in the trilogy, utilizing some heavy low kicks and his lightning quick left hand. However, after a failed guillotine choke attempt, the tide quickly turned in favor of ‘The Diamond’. Poirier would begin to unload some nasty ground and pound from top position, nearly finishing the fight in the process. Conor McGregor would eventually battle his way back up to his feet but wound up badly rolling his ankle which resulted in a broken tibia and of course the end of the fight.
Shortly following his second consecutive setback to Poirier, Conor McGregor insinuated that a pre-existing leg injury (that the UFC knew about) was what resulted in his leg snapping at UFC 264.
NSAC executive Bob Bennett recently responded to McGregor’s pre-fight injury claims and stated the governing body for Nevada had no knowledge of such an ailment.
“If we ever knowingly had information a fighter wasn’t fit to fight, we wouldn’t let them compete,” Bennett told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It would go to a doctor, and a doctor would make that decision as the expert.”
Mr. Bennett’s remarks obviously go against the recent claims made by Conor McGregor, who had previously suggested the following.
“I was injured going into the fight! People were asking me when was the leg break – at what point did the leg break? Ask Dana White. Ask the UFC. Ask Dr. Davidson, the head doctor of the UFC. They knew. My leg – I had stress fractures in my leg going into that cage.”
Do you believe that Conor McGregor was injured prior to his UFC 264 trilogy with Dustin Poirier?