UFC superstar Conor McGregor has been medically suspended until 2022 after breaking his leg at last Saturday’s UFC 264 pay-per-view event in a fight with Dustin Poirier.
McGregor shattered his leg in the first round of his main event trilogy fight against rival Dustin Poirier, which led the Irishman to lose via first-round TKO (doctor stoppage). He had successful surgery to fix his broken leg on Sunday and McGregor said that he will be on crutches for six weeks. According to sports reporter Al Dawson, McGregor has now been given a medical suspension until January 2022 following the leg break, though he can be cleared by a doctor sooner. Either way, don’t expect to see McGregor fight anytime soon.
Conor McGregor has been given a medical suspension until January 7, 2022, unless he receives orthopedic clearance of his fractured left leg. Minimum suspension for six weeks, and no contact (sparring) until early to mid August, as per the combat sports regulator MMA.
McGregor’s leg injury is somewhat similar to former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman’s recent leg break against Uriah Hall at UFC 261. Fans and media initially feared that his career could be over following the devastating break but Weidman is already back in the gym working out, so it’s possible that McGregor could also make a faster-than-expected recovery. Then again, just because these guys can train in the gym doesn’t mean that they can get into an MMA fight inside the cage, and a doctor will determine when and if McGregor will be able to do what he loves again. It’s likely he won’t return until 2022.
If and when McGregor fights again, it will be interesting to see what the landscape looks like in the UFC lightweight division at that point. McGregor is still ranked in the top-15 at 155lbs, but so much can change in a short amount of time in a sport as crazy as MMA.
