NAC executive refutes Conor McGregor’s pre-UFC 264 injury claim

Simon Samano

Fri, Jul 16, 2021, 8:17 PM·2 min read

According to Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett, he and others within the state sanctioning body had no knowledge of a Conor McGregor leg injury prior to UFC 264.

McGregor raised eyebrows in the aftermath of his doctor stoppage TKO loss to Dustin Poirier last Saturday, claiming he competed with stress factures in his left leg, which he broke in the final seconds of the first round as he planted his foot on the canvas.

Without directly mentioning McGregor, Bennett indicated to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the development was news to him.

“If we ever knowingly had information a fighter wasn’t fit to fight, we wouldn’t let them compete,” Bennett said Friday. “It would go to a doctor, and a doctor would make that decision as the expert.”

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McGregor underwent surgery Sunday in Los Angeles and was released from the hospital Wednesday, his 33rd birthday. He made the claim of a pre-existing leg injury Thursday in an Instagram video in which he rode around an L.A. neighborhood on an electric cart.

“I was injured going into the fight,” McGregor said. “People were asking me when was the leg break – at what point did the leg break? Ask Dana White. Ask the UFC. Ask Dr. Davidson, the head doctor of the UFC. They knew. My leg – I had stress fractures in my leg going into that cage.”

McGregor’s claim raises questions about what the UFC and NAC might’ve known about a potential pre-fight injury, or if McGregor is being truthful. The NAC declined an MMA Junkie public records request for the fighter’s pre-fight medical questionnaire. The UFC also didn’t provide a comment on the situation when reached by MMA Junkie.

Later Thursday evening, McGregor shared photos on social media purporting to be from his training camp, which show his left leg wrapped and receiving medical attention, including X-rays.

McGregor, who is 1-3 in his past four UFC fights, is adamant that he will return to the octagon. UFC president Dana White said he expects McGregor to be ready in one year.