Conor McGregor’s coach takes the blame for toe injury that canceled UFC 303 comeback

Conor McGregor’s longtime coach John Kavanagh blames himself for his star protege’s sudden withdrawal from UFC 303.

It’s been five years since Conor McGregor fought inside the UFC Octagon. The long wait for the former two-division UFC champion to return to the cage will end this weekend at UFC 329, as McGregor fights Max Holloway in the main event.

McGregor hasn’t fought since injuring his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, an injury many feared could’ve ended his fighting career. But five years later, McGregor is still out to prove his detractors wrong and return as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

McGregor’s first attempt at a comeback failed at UFC 303 ahead of his fight against Michael Chandler. Just weeks ahead of the event, McGregor suffered a toe injury that canceled the Chandler fight and left the UFC scrambling to book a last-minute headliner.

Luckily, McGregor was able to bounce back from his injuries and solidify his return for this Saturday in Las Vegas. While injuries are common in Mixed Martial Arts, McGregor’s longtime coach blames himself for the accident.

John Kavanagh ‘felt sick’ about Conor McGregor toe injury that thwarted UFC 303 return

During an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, McGregor’s longtime coach, John Kavanagh, assumed responsibility for the last-second UFC 303 fight cancellation.

“I’ll say it more bluntly than he will – I should’ve had the protective gear on both guys from the start. The beginning of it was a little bit rushed, and it’s different for sparring…it just wasn’t done right,” Kavanagh said of McGregor’s injury.

“I’ll put my hand up. I should’ve had the gear on them, and he awkwardly caught Tristan’s elbow. It happened really early, just the first minute or so in the round, and he insisted on doing all five rounds. You can kind of run on adrenaline a little bit…I felt sick about it. It was my fault, and I’m not going to beat around the bush on it.

“We’ve been super careful this training camp,” Kavanagh continued on McGregor. “Doesn’t have a bump or a bruise. We’ll get to see the best version of him.”

It’s been a long road back to the Octagon for McGregor, as he recently admitted physical and mental obstacles he had to overcome to sign off on his UFC 329 return. While McGregor’s place in UFC history is already cemented, the global superstar wants to add at least one more highlight to his resume.

What is your prediction for Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!