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“There’s to Be a Trauma”: Conor McGregor Revealed the Real Reason He Was “Training With No Shin Pads” Before His Fight Against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264

Published 05/21/2023, 5:41 AM EDT

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‘McGregor Forever’ has been dropping bombshells on the audience about Conor McGregor with great finesse. The Netflix documentary series has not only showcased the Irishman’s success stories but also some backstage incidents that only a handful knew about. One such story was the injury that ‘The Notorious’ sustained during the sparring sessions without any shin guards.

The fourth and final episode of ‘McGregor Forever’ showed the happenings surrounding McGregor’s fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He had been training without shin pads to experience the conditions of an actual fight. Subsequently, he got injured and visited the doctor. The doctor warned that if things didn’t heal within a week, the fight might have to be scrapped. Undeniably, the fight went on but ended with a gruesome injury for McGregor.

McGregor Forever revealed secrets about McGregor’s leg injury 

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The documentary series revealed that prior to UFC 264, ‘The Notorious’ was training with no shin pads on. Without a doubt, he got some injuries after training. Concerned, he gave the doctor a visit. He complained, “I’ve been sparring a lot with no shin pads. Obviously, there’s to be a trauma in the, in the… bunch of low kicks, the last time. I wanted to be sparring and training with no shin pads, so I can feel the exact force.” 

via Imago

McGregor explained that he kicked his training partner’s knee with the shin and the ankle of his left leg. Following an MRI scan, it was revealed that the fighter had bruising on his bones. If the impact continued, the bones were destined to give way and break. 

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The doctor believed that if the symptoms worsened over the course of a week, McGregor might have to cancel the fight against Poirier. He said, “I think that you decrease the impact, let him go into the Octagon and do what he’d normally be doing at this point before a fight, and see how it responds. If it gets worse over the course of a week or so, then we gotta shut it down.”

Nevertheless, why did the Irishman initiate training without shin guards?

The reason why Conor McGregor trained without shin guards

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In the last episode of the Irishman’s documentary, he revealed why he wished to spar without shin guards. He revealed that he wanted to feel the things that he would in an actual fight. He also said that shin guards had a major role in defining a battle. 

via Imago

McGregor said, “So, I’ve been training with no shin pads because the shin pads let me down the last time in camp because it felt like I was in a safe place, taking the kicks in a certain area, and when you remove the shin pads, it was way different.”

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Watch This Story– Take a look at UFC star Conor McGregor’s big profile endorsements

Do you think McGregor was a bit reckless with his training? Let us know in the comments down below. 

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Written by:

Krushna Prasad Pattnaik

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Krushna Pattnaik is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports, with a deep passion for martial arts and storytelling. His extensive training in BJJ, Tae-Kwon-Do, and Muay Thai has given him a unique perspective on the sport of MMA, and his love for analyzing fights is evident in his exceptional writing. Krushna's personal experience in the ring has given him a deep understanding of the intricacies of a bout, and he brings this knowledge to his writing, providing readers with insightful and engaging content.
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Edited by:

Amal Joyce