Connor McGregor suffered a crushing injury in a three-pronged match between UFC 264 and Dustin Poirier on July 10, breaking his left ankle.
The day after the game, Connor underwent a 3-hour surgery in hopes of reinventing his career. UFC chairman Dana Bai said the Irishman was expected to play again within a year.
That night, the current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who watched the entire event, thought it was certainly a blessing for MMA sport that Connor could return so quickly, and he also hoped that Connor would make a full recovery and continue to do what he did best in the octagon cage.
I hope he can come back to play after he recovers to 100% and look forward to him continuing to bring great showdowns to boxing fans as he is a guarantee at the box office. He's a guy who has given a lot to the sport.
Since I was last defeated, I have become a new Charles, a new mental outlook, a new mind, a new personality. It all depends on your personal thoughts and choices, and how much your heart really wants to do it. When people say you can't do a thing, if you tell yourself you can, then you can.
Now it all depends on how much Connor himself wants to continue his career. Some people have come back after a very serious injury, so let's wait and see how much Connor wants to come back and play again
On how Connor was injured in the game, Oliveira said:
It looked like he had been injured before the game, because it wasn't at all like an injury caused by kicking an opponent in the game. But he played a lot of legs early in the game, so it's likely that his original injury was exacerbated. Anything can happen in the MMA movement, which is completely unpredictable. Being KO or being surrendered, that's one thing, but being defeated in this way, I don't like it at all.
In addition, there is an argument that even if Connor is not injured, he will not have a chance to beat Poirir in the later matches, as he has already lost 8-10 in the first leg. Oliveira disagrees.
Some people say that if the game goes into the second round, Connor will only suffer himself, but as an MMA player himself, I can tell you that anything can happen. With a punch or a knee, Connor can reverse the outcome.
Povarier changed the game after wrestling Connor successfully, but when Connor returned to his standing, something unfortunate happened, which was a sad thing for the sport. I want to congratulate Poisier, he evolved again, he played smart and won the game, but Connor's injury is just too sad.
In addition to Oliveira, Connor's old rival Jose Aldo also expressed support and encouragement for the Irishman. He believes that if Connor can adjust his psychology, he will continue to succeed on the field in the future.
First of all, I was shocked by such injuries. We are always protecting our bodies and keeping it in a healthy state, because only then can we use it all the time, which is not an easy task.
I think Connor can come back and continue to play at a high level of competition, and I never doubted his willpower. He's been a featherweight and lightweight champion, and he has the mental will to be a champion, so it's all up to him, and if he wants to come back and continue to play against opponents of the highest level, then he can do it.
Connor played well in this game because he put the hype aside and threw himself into the game until his leg broke. If he really wants to come back, he will train hard, give up those things that don't make sense, and eventually achieve his goals and get back on the road to victory.