Conor McGregor Reveals Toe Injury Forced Him Out of UFC 303 Main Event

While Conor McGregor is renowned for showing up on fight night no matter the circumstances, he wanted to make sure that he will be 100% healthy for his long-awaited Octagon return.

In a post on social media, the Irish star revealed that a broken toe forced his late withdrawal from the UFC 303 headliner against Michael Chandler.

“Man we were so f—ing super ready for this fight, it is absolutely gut wrenching to take,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “I want that new Bugatti! How I gone justify to myself getting that now without banking these fights. We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean. It needs a few weeks that’s it. I couldn’t justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk hindered again. That walk has been seen.

“This next walk has got to be, and it will be, 100 percent Conor McGregor. The fans deserve it and we are getting close. A slight lapse in concentration and a nuisance of an injury was picked up. That’s it. Take the lesson and move forward. I will get this back. I’ve got to. I’ve got two fights left on my contract. I’ve got Bugattis and more yachts on my mind. I’m coming to shine. I gotta just take my time. Cause I still got yachts and Bentleys and mansions and all the rest. Ya know yaself. But ya get me, I’ll be back. See ya’s soon. See ya at the top. Chandler or not.”

While McGregor stated that he will only need a “few weeks” to return to full health, there has been no indication from the UFC if — or when — the bout with Chandler might be rescheduled. The former two-division champion himself didn’t offer any guarantees that a rebooking with Chandler is a certainty with his statement, “Chandler or not.” However, McGregor also defended Chandler’s decision to wait for a date with the UFC’s biggest star.

“Chandler is getting [10 times] of what his contract states for other fights,” McGregor wrote on X. “Meaning he would need to fight 10 fights to make what he would make in this one. I’m the One.

“For those saying he could have fought [two] or [three] times by now, etc. He’d need 10 to break even with this [check].”

Chandler is getting paid 10x of what his contract states for other fights. Meaning he would need to fight 10 fights to make what he would make in this one. I’m The One.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 21, 2024

McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His last MMA triumph came in January 2020, when he stopped Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246.

UFC 303 takes place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is now headlined by a light heavyweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

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