Conor McGregor Suffered Sprained Knee in UFC Fight Night 26 Bout with Max Holloway
Popular Irish fighter Conor McGregor injured his knee during his UFC Fight Night 26 unanimous decision victory over Max Holloway on Saturday night in Boston.
McGregor, arriving at the post-fight press conference with his knee heavily bandaged, wasn’t sure what the extent of injury was at that time.
According to a UFC Tonight report on Tuesday, however, UFC doctors examined the knee and diagnosed his injury as a minor sprain of his lateral collateral ligament (LCL). It appears he may be able to avoid surgery, but McGregor will get an MRI later this week in Los Angeles to help make a final determination.
Fighting to a decision for the first time in his career on Saturday night, McGregor was extremely disappointed in his performance, but didn’t use the injury as an excuse.
“I injured my knee halfway through the second. I just can’t get it out of my head, but looking back I should have just pulled my knee from my leg and hit him with it,” he recounted.
“I heard a big pop and I let out a scream mid-round, but I passed into side control with it. When we stood back up I was unsteady on it.”
McGregor is hopeful that he can avoid going under the knife, and is already targeting his return to the Octagon, injury be damned.
McGregor told UFC Tonight that he wants to fight at UFC 168 on Dec. 28 in Las Vegas. He said that he doesn’t care whom he fights. His coach, John Kavanagh, however, told UFC Tonight that he would like to see his fighter face Diego Brandao next.
Brandao fought on the Boston fight card as well, defeating Daniel Pineda by unanimous decision. Brandao was worried that he may have broken his hand in the fight, but his coach, Greg Jackson, told UFC Tonight that Brandao’s hand wasn’t broken, but sprained.
Any further talk about pairing the two will have to wait until after McGregor has the MRI and finds out the full extent of the damage to his knee.
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