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Conor McGregor, the former UFC champion and one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts, has been sidelined for over two years after suffering a horrific leg injury in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021. The Irishman, who left the USADA testing pool as part of his recovery process, has hinted at a comeback in 2023, but was unable to secure a fight with Michael Chandler due to his lack of random testing.
However, one person who still has faith in McGregor’s ability to return to his prime form is UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who witnessed the leg break live from the cage side. Rogan, who hosts a popular podcast, recently had a conversation with former WWE star Kurt Angle about McGregor’s potential comeback. He compared him to two other fighters who also suffered leg fractures in their fights: Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.
Silva and Weidman, both former middleweight champions, have never been the same after their brutal injuries. Silva, who was 38 when he broke his leg against Weidman in 2013, lost six of his next eight fights and was recently released by the UFC. Weidman, who was 36 when he broke his leg against Uriah Hall in 2021, has not fought since and has undergone multiple surgeries.
Rogan believes that McGregor has a better chance of overcoming his injury than Silva and Weidman, because he is still relatively young at 33. He also praised McGregor’s fighting spirit and work ethic, saying that he is a “different breed” and a “real savage”.
“If he does, he would be the first,” Rogan said, referring to McGregor’s plans to successfully return after his leg break. “If anybody can do it, maybe it’s him. He snapped his leg in the prime of his career. Anderson was a little older, I believe he was 36, 37 when he snapped his leg. Chris Weidman was a little bit older, it’s a hard one to come back from.”
He added, “It’s been about two years and there’s all this talk of him fighting Michael Chandler from The Ultimate Fighter. He’s sparring, I’ve seen footage of sparring. He looks good, he looks real good… He’s a different breed, he’s a f*cking savage, a real savage. I hope he comes back.”
McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he lost to Poirier by TKO due to doctor stoppage at the end of the first round.
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