Conor McGregor has fought through injuries throughout his career and had never pulled out of a scheduled matchup until UFC 303. While past opponents and some rivals have taken sly digs at the Irishman, others have recognized the risks of fighting with a broken toe.
By the time McGregor returns, he'd have been out of the Octagon for over three years. The former two-division champion lost three out of his last four fights, and it is hard to see the win over Cerrone as a feather in his cap.
Naturally, "The Notorious" aims to be fully prepared for his return. Getting back in the win column will instantly open up a ton of exciting fights for the Dubliner.
For now, though, plenty of focus remains on McGregor's decision to pull out of UFC 303. But Dan Hardy has a different view to many critics when it comes to the UFC 303 drama and McGregor's injury...
Hardy Claims Conor McGregor Respects Michael Chandler Enough Not To Fight Him With A Broken Toe
Hardy recently appeared on the From The Stands YouTube channel and talked about the postponed fight between McGregor and Chandler.
The former UFC welterweight title challenger instantly pointed out that the McGregor we've long known would never pull out of a fight that he thinks is winnable despite an injury.
We know what Conor's like, he's not going to pull out of a fight that he feels like he can win, even if he is injured. I think this shows that he's got a lot of respect for Michael Chandler and he knows that he needs to be on his A game because, I mean, he wants to get back on track, right? He wants to be back in the win column.
''The Outlaw" also reviewed the importance of toes for McGregor to make the most of his wide striking stance.
What we know about McGregor is that, you know, he is, you know, he's very much about footwork, especially the best versions of McGregor, (it) requires him to be mobile. And he's got a long stance, which means he uses the big toe and the little toe just as much as one another to keep himself mobile.
McGregor mostly gained acclaim for his consistency and willingness to fight during his rise to stardom. In contrast, he now has everything he ever wanted from the sport. On top of that, losing three fights in a row will naturally hurt his brand.
You know, you can't really say anything negative about him because we know that (he) would take fights on short notice if you felt capable of competing. And I really want the best version of McGregor because ultimately we might be counting on one hand the amount of times we see him fight again.
All these factors compel Hardy to side with McGregor for taking his time leading into the Chandler fight.