Conor McGregor Announces Toe Injury, Main Event with Michael Chandler Cancelled

In a social media post on Friday, Conor McGregor revealed a significant setback in his return to the octagon. The Irish superstar announced that he broke his toe “clean” ahead of his anticipated main event matchup against Michael Chandler, which was scheduled for the June 29 International Fight Week pay-per-view card.

“The Notorious” assured fans that he would need only a few weeks to recover, suggesting that he would be ready to fight Chandler or another opponent soon after.

However, the news of his injury wasn’t received very well by other flighters of UFC and some of them had something to say about it. Particularly Islam Makhachev didn’t hold back in giving his opinion on Twitter and calling Conor McGregor a ‘chicken’. 

Not only Islam but also Belal Mohammad and Rafael dos Anjos took a dig at what Conor perceives as too serious an injury to prison out a fight.

This injury marks another challenging moment in McGregor’s career. The UFC’s first-ever simultaneous two-division world champion has not competed since his severe leg injury in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. The 35-year-old has faced a tough period, losing two consecutive fights to Poirier and three of his last four bouts, all via stoppages. McGregor’s last victory was a swift 40-second knockout of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in January 2021.

The announcement of McGregor’s injury has elicited a wave of reactions from the MMA community, including current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. McGregor’s influence in the sport ensures that any news involving him garners widespread attention and sparks various responses from fellow fighters and fans alike.

With McGregor’s declaration that he will be ready to return soon, the anticipation for his next fight remains high. Whether it will be against Chandler or another contender, McGregor’s comeback is poised to be one of the most-watched events in the UFC.