Conor McGregor injured? Notorious lifts lid on hand injury ahead of UFC 229
CONOR MCGREGOR has explained why one of his fingers was looking worse for wear at the first UFC 229 pre-fight press conference.
Conor McGregor reveals GRUESOME injury from Khabib training
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that a finger on McGregor’s left hand looked like it had sustained some damage during his preparations for his grudge match with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmgagomedov, who he’ll face in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Understandably, fears that the Irishman wouldn’t be able to compete to the best of his ability soon arose.
McGregor allayed those concerns during an interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, in which he revealed he sustained the injury via one of his sparring partner’s teeth.
“Only the strong survive around this game. I was fighting a 90 kilo fighter, Ion Pascu, he’s a great solid fighter. They call him the bomber," he said.
"Like me, I sometimes spar without a gum shield. I was sparring this guy, 'The Bomber', and I smacked him with a clean shot, and his tooth embedded into me.”
The former UFC lightweight champion added: “A man’s tooth was embedded into my knuckle. Welcome to the fight game. The real fight game. Not that tip-tap s**t you see so much of.
"You’ve got to get in and do it. You’re either going to do it or you’re not going to do it. Make a decision. It is what it is.”
McGregor's eagerly-anticipated showdown with Nurmagomedov takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning.
I sometimes spar without a gum shield. I was sparring this guy, 'The Bomber', and I smacked him with a clean shot, and his tooth embedded into me
And 'The Notorious' is adamant he'll end the Russian's reign atop of the division in emphatic fashion.
"Devastating KO," said Ireland's first UFC belt holder. "He's too easy to hit. Too flat-footed and too predictable. I'm gonna knock him clean out.
"I'm gonna come out the gate fast. I don't give a f*** about anything – any wrestling, any technique, any anything.
"I'm coming for that man's head from the f****** bell. Trust me on that."
UFC 229 Fight Card
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor (lightweight title fight)
Tony Ferguson vs Anthony Pettis (lightweight bout)
Ovince Saint Preux vs Dominick Reyes (light-heavyweight bout)
Derrick Lewis vs Alexander Volkov (heavyweight bout)
Michelle Waterson vs Felice Herring (women’s strawweight bout)
Prelims
Sergio Pettis vs Jussier Formica (men’s flyweight bout)
Scott Holtzman vs Alan Patrick (lightweight bout)
Ryan LaFlare vs Tony Martin (welterweight bout)
Lina Lansberg vs Yana Kunitskaya (women’s bantamweight bout)
Gray Maynard vs Nik Lentz (lightweight bout)
Aspen Ladd vs Tonya Evinger (women's bantamweight bout)