Much has been made about Conor McGregor’s broken pinky toe and subsequent removal from UFC 303 last month, but the overall consensus is that “Notorious” probably shouldn’t have pulled out of his long-awaited return for the type of injury he had suffered.
Most of the MMA community believes McGregor could have fought through the ailment to keep his UFC 303 main event against Michael Chandler intact. After all, UFC did a ton of planning and promotion for McGregor’s return and even had a $20 million gate to hang their hat on. Unfortunately, McGregor’s withdrawal spoiled all those plans and forced the promotion to revamped UFC 303’s main card from top to bottom.
Dustin Poirier, recognized as one of McGregor’s primary adversaries, has faced him three times in the Octagon. Like many others, Poirier fails to comprehend how a toe injury could have hindered McGregor’s comeback. Although Poirier acknowledges his lack of knowledge regarding the extent and severity of McGregor’s break, he remains unconvinced that it was significant enough to impede his return to action.
“A pinky toe? I fought with so much injuries,” Poirier said on The MMA Hour. “Like Conor said, he’s fought with so many injuries, I fought with so many injuries over the years, but a pinky toe doesn’t seem like a reason to pull out of a fight. Giving him his respect, I also don’t know the severity of it.”
Despite his recent injury, McGregor is determined to make a comeback and compete in 2024. This unexpected setback has caught everyone off guard since McGregor has never withdrawn from a UFC fight before. Although he has taken occasional breaks from competition, McGregor has proven to be one of the most dependable fighters once he commits to a fight.
As far as his rivalry with McGregor goes, Poirier believes “Notorious” is always trying to push the envelope and make him engage in some social media banter. “Diamond” would like to fire back and have his voice heard, but in most cases it isn’t worth it.
Poirier expressed his frustration, stating that the individual in question had crossed boundaries that are irreparable. Poirier admitted to feeling the urge to retaliate upon seeing the offensive tweets, as it seemed like the individual was deliberately trying to provoke him. However, Poirier chose not to engage, acknowledging the longstanding history of exchanges between them since 2014.
