Conor McGregor ‘still in recovery,’ rejects September date for wheelchair charity boxing match

Conor McGregor ‘still in recovery,’ rejects September date for wheelchair charity boxing match

Conor McGregor is down to participate in wheelchair charity boxing match, just not on the proposed timeline.

Much confusion surfaced on Monday when McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC), a former two-division UFC champion, was oddly linked to a wheelchair charity boxing match for the Irish Wheelchair Association on Sept. 11 against Al Foran, who is known online as a McGregor impressionist (via Twitter):

Drum roll ladies and gentlemen

The co-main event: @TheNotoriousMMA v @ImpressionistAL aka The Notorious v The Notorious Impressionist all in aid of the @IrishWheelchair

Please donate here if you can: https://t.co/lDMJxs1MvE

@madebyGoodie pic.twitter.com/kqFIXApdzu

— Sir Stevo Timothy (@SirStevoTimothy) July 30, 2021

Shortly after the news was put out, a McGregor spokesperson told ESPN that the Irish superstar’s involvement was not confirmed, and he would not be part of the event as claimed.

That seemingly doesn’t mean McGregor isn’t interested in it, though.

“The Notorious” is just weeks removed from suffering a broken leg in a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in their anticipated UFC 264 trilogy fight, and remains in California recovering after an extensive surgery.

The rehabilitation process is still in a grueling phase, but McGregor is apparently hopeful he can get involved sometime down the line. He issued a statement on social media in response to the reports, and said he would like to do the wheelchair charity boxing match before the end of 2021 (via Twitter):

Guys, the September date is too early for me. I am still in recovery. My docs/physical therapy team out here advice me to stay. I reckon late October at earliest. But maybe November/December too. It is hard to say at this time a concrete date. But I’m in! Wait for me please!

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 2, 2021

Guys, the September date is too early for me. I am still in recovery. My docs/physical therapy team out here advice me to stay. I reckon late October at earliest. But maybe November/December too. It is hard to say at this time a concrete date. But I’m in! Wait for me please!

Hahaha quality! Give me time guys, I’m in! Just need to focus on this recovery for the next while first before I can commit to a date!
Have some cool things planned for event tho! @IrishWheelchair #LamborghiniWheelchairs https://t.co/cFhlGOROeq

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 2, 2021

Hahaha quality! Give me time guys, I’m in! Just need to focus on this recovery for the next while first before I can commit to a date!
Have some cool things planned for event tho! @IrishWheelchair #LamborghiniWheelchairs

Whether McGregor is serious about following through on this remains to be seen. There’s also the question of whether the UFC would even allow it given the contractual restrictions it maintains over its fighters.

Nevertheless, McGregor’s excitement in his response is a promising sign for those who wish to see him come out on the other end of his injury with a hunger to compete.