Former UFC champion Conor McGregor visited a California physician Thursday – and received good news.
Less than six weeks after he suffered a fractured leg in his UFC 264 headliner against Dustin Poirier, the former Irish double champion is no longer in a boot or cast.
As he entered the appointment, McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) expressed confidence in a calculated, measured recovery, but expressed slight worry that his leg injury might take a left turn like that of Chris Weidman.
However, immediately after he exited the doctor’s office Thursday, McGregor took to Instagram Live to update fans and followers with positive news and indicated his recovery is three weeks ahead of schedule and can return to biking soon.
“Scan went well,” McGregor said. “Scan went very well. To be back on the bike, I’m back on the bike before he said I was going to be able to bear weight. I’m rocking (and) well ahead of schedule. Let’s keep it going. … It was good news. Good news at the doc’s.”
Prior to the appointment, too, McGregor fielded questions from fans on Instagram. During that time, he showed off his bare leg, elevated in his car, as he described how he’s been feeling in recent weeks.
“I think this bone is back together, to be honest,” McGregor said. “The ankle is feeling great. … I’ve got me flip-flops on, I have. I’m out of the boot. I’ve got the flip-flops on, so that’s a good sign. … I’m still jacked as well, bro. It ain’t over. We’re only warming up. Still fresh. Still untouched. You still can’t get me.”
While eager to get back into the cage, McGregor indicated the leg injury and subsequent delayed recovery of former UFC middleweight champion Weidman was in the back of his mind. He’d rather do it correctly than have to do it a second time.
“I’m being careful with it,” McGregor said. “I’m listening to what the doctors are saying. Everything else, I can’t physically do, I’m not pushing it too far after seeing what happened to Weidman recently. It’s in the back of my head that I go in there and maybe they say, ‘Oh, it’s not connected again. You have to go through this again.’ Look what happened to Weidman. I don’t think that’s the case with me. I know that’s not the case with me. I am a little bit nervous.”
The plan for McGregor is to remain in California until mid-October. After that, he’s not sure which matchups await him, but he indicated heavier weight classes are in his future – maybe even middleweight.
“I’ve just got to take it day by day,” McGregor said. “I’m looking forward to it. You know, I’m watching all these fools talk. You know that little middleweight, that little former middleweight Kelvin Gastelum is 5’9” with a 71” inch reach. I’m actually bigger physically set than Kelvin and he’s fighting at middleweight. I’m going to just keep going up. I don’t know what weight I am now. … But I’ll see what I am on the scales and just go from there. Day-by-day.”
‘I’m ahead of schedule’: Conor McGregor reveals good news after most recent leg scans
