‘You Kept Throwing It!’ — Fighter Confused By Conor’s Kicks

This UFC Vegas 32 fighter is scratching his head over Conor McGregor’s preparation and execution at UFC 264.

Conor McGregor blames pre-existing stress fractures for his leg break at UFC 264, which leaves UFC Vegas 32’s Darrick Minner with a few questions.

McGregor snapped his leg in the closing moments of the first round of his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Sat., July 10. Minner (26-11) shares his thoughts on McGregor’s injury while speaking with MMAMania.com ahead of his fight against Darren Elkins (25-9) at UFC Vegas 32, taking place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sat., July 24 via ESPN+.

“Was his leg fractured? Probably. We’ve all probably experienced that,” Minner says. “But I’m not sparring without shinguards and kicking people’s knees hard without shinguards. That’s what he said he was doing. That’s just poor training if you ask me. I don’t know the circumstances. I went into fights where I had severe injuries. Not so severe that I couldn’t fight — it doesn’t matter what it is, I’m going to fight at the end of the day. But also he’s not a kid who is trying to make it, he made it. I can’t compare our stages.

“No fighter is 100 percent going into the cage,” he asserts. “He could have for sure and it could have played a factor in his leg breaking. But you kept throwing it so you obviously weren’t too worried about it. So that’s on him.”

Elkins bounced back against Luiz Eduardo Garagorri in November to snap a career-worst four-fight losing streak. Minner, who has more pro fights than Elkins despite being younger and newer to the game, is training for the Elkins of old.

“I’m preparing for Darren Elkins that was ranked number seven or eight in the world. I’m prepared to make that jump into a different level of competition. I just happen to have to go to Darren Elkins at this point. I expect the best Darren Elkins that has ever been. Will it happen?” Minner asked. “That’s not my call. You better have the right people in the right place to make that call for you if you can’t make them yourself. My guys know if I get a certain way, you better let me know because we’re too stubborn. We’re fighters. We’re stubborn as hell.”

UFC Vegas 32 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV on Sat., July 24. The ESPN+ card is headlined by Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw in a fight that will likely determine the next contender for the UFC Bantamweight title after Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2.

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