UFC president Dana White has claimed that Conor McGregor has “chronic arthritis” in his ankles.
Back at UFC 264 we saw McGregor square off against Dustin Poirier for the third time in a heated Las Vegas main event. Both men had their moments in what proved to be just a one-round affair as in the final seconds of that round, McGregor stepped back and broke his leg – bringing a premature end to what was an enthralling contest.
What happened?
“The Notorious” has since been pleading his case by insinuating that he already had stress fractures in his leg before the bout, noting that the UFC and their lead doctor had been well aware of that fact before he even stepped foot inside the octagon.
Now, during a recent chat with Fox News, Dana White has weighed in on the controversy.
“He has had ankle issues for (the) last couple of years,” White said.
“He had asked if he could tape his ankles coming into this fight and he got clearance to do it from the Nevada State Athletic Commission and then he opted not to tape them. I don’t know why. He has chronic arthritis in his ankles.”
McGregor has been handed a medical suspension that looks set to rule him out of action until 2022 which, all things considered, would make sense given the extent of his injury.
Many fans and media members have wondered why Conor was even allowed to fight if there was a hint of an injury during his camp, which is a debate that’ll likely rage on for many weeks and months to come. In the meantime, though, with the Irishman continuing his recovery, the lightweight division has to move on – and so it shall.
Dustin Poirier is set in stone as the new number one contender and will likely challenge Charles Oliveira for the strap towards the end of 2021.
Featured image credit: Getty
