Although fans are disappointed with Conor McGregor after he decided to pull out of UFC 303 citing an injury, fellow UFC fighters have been quite understanding of the situation. However, do not count the current Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley in this list, as he recently claimed that the Irishman could very well have continued despite all obstacles.
In a recent episode of Sean O’Malley’s YouTube podcast, the conversation soon turned to how ‘Mystic Mac’ dropped out of UFC 303 due to a broken toe. Moreover, when ‘Suga’ was asked if the Irishman should have continued despite his injury, the 29-year-old said,
“You know what is interesting, Chael Sonnen has been saying Conor is not fighting because he has a drug addiction. He needs to go to rehab, he needs to go to therapy, it’s not about the broken toe. Conor has fought with multiple injuries before. Conor’s toes do look pretty f**ked up. I think he could have done it. Chandler is a dangerous opponent but I feel he could have floated back and hit that left hand.”
Along with O’Malley, his coach also agreed that McGregor should have made the walk. Both of them argued that the injury did not seem too severe and that the Irishman had enough time to let it heal before he had to make the walk anyway. However, McGregor had a completely different approach to the injury, and he even defended his decision to pull out of the fight and break his 100% track record.
Conor McGregor defends his decision to pull out of UFC 303
UFC 303 was set to be a huge night for the UFC as well as McGregor. The event had already broken the record for the highest gate of all time, a record previously held by the Irishman himself. Still, following his withdrawal, ‘The Notorious’ got a chance to explain his decision at a Bellator event in Dublin. There, the former double champion stated that he never wants to walk into a fight while being less than 100% ever again.
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McGregor stated that he has compromised on his fitness in the past which allowed his opponents to take advantage of him. On top of it, he even hinted at a possible comeback in the near future. Needless to say, both fans and the UFC are eagerly waiting for McGregor to return to action once again.
