Winslow Townson USA TODAY Sports
All the hype and trash talking involving UFC featherweight Conor McGregor is going to have to wait a while to get ratcheted up again.
The talented fighter from Ireland is going to be on the shelf for up to 10 months with a torn ACL. The injury happened in round two of his dominant victory over Max Holloway at UFC Fight 26 in Boston. McGregor, who showcased an explosive standup game against Holloway in the first part of the bout, had to rely on a ground game in the latter half after sustaining the injury.
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He told Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview that he felt something pop in his knee.
The news is a tough pill to swallow for the UFC, which has compared the hype surrounding the fighter as being only behind that of when Brock Lesnar entered the organization. McGregor was hopeful the injury wasn’t too serious as he had called out Diego Brandao for a fight at UFC 168. Both were victorious in Boston, and Brandao was quick to accept the challenge.
McGregor had also made derogatory remarks about the featherweight division’s top 10, no doubt making a few enemies, and also engaged in a pretty good Twitter battle with Diego Sanchez. McGregor was also hoping to be part of a UFC event in Manchester in October, but those plans have gone down the drain with the injury setback.
In just two fights in the Octagon, the 25-year-old has shown himself to be an exciting fighter with a very unusual striking style. McGregor’s punches are crisp, and his solid leg kicks come from very diverse angles with plenty of pop behind them. He’s charismatic and already seems to have developed an enthusiastic fan base, which is why the UFC is so high on his future.
You can be sure a number of the key players within the featherweight ranks have been doing a slow burn seeing the hype train in full gear for McGregor, and no doubt many were hoping to get a piece of him after being on the receiving end of his Twitter blast.
There are some great fights that can be made for McGregor moving forward, and there will be no shortage of newly-made enemies who will embrace the challenge of facing him. The unfortunate thing for McGregor and fight fans alike is that they’ll have to wait longer than expected to see those battles.
Rick LaFitte is an MMA Writer for Rant Sports
