Conor McGregor has been criticized by the MMA world over his withdrawal from UFC 303 due to a broken toe, but his former foe Nate Diaz has defended the Irishman’s decision.
Conor McGregor was set to make his highly anticipated return to the Octagon next Saturday at UFC 303 to face Michael Chandler, after three years away from action.
Despite this, the former world champion in two weight categories withdrew a few weeks before the June 29 date after breaking his toe in training.
Nate Diaz defends Conor McGregor following criticism over UFC 303 withdrawal
Following the Irishman’s withdrawal, current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev criticised the 35-year-old for withdrawing due to a broken toe.
“You don’t need a little toe to fight lol.” It’s chicken. » posted Makhachev on X.
The Russian wasn’t the only one to have harsh words towards McGregor, as current featherweight king Ilia Topuria also criticized the 35-year-old’s decision to withdraw from his comeback.
“You’re mentally broken. That’s your biggest lesson. You doubt yourself, your abilities, your preparation, that’s why you don’t show up. You’re an a**hole,” the 27-year-old said.
Former rival Nate Diaz defended the 35-year-old following the criticism, saying it was a minor thing that was turned into a bigger deal than necessary.
“I think it’s just a minor thing and they’re making a big deal out of it,” Diaz told MMAJunkie.
“Good idea (to retire), if I get fucked up I would also like to postpone the fight, but people are freaking out. I also wouldn’t want to fight until I’m 100% ready to rock because in the past I’ve done all kinds of shit that I shouldn’t have done.
“I think he learned from experience and all these inexperienced people are talking crap,” Diaz added.
Diaz still hopes to settle rivalry with McGregor
The rivalry between Diaz and McGregor began in 2016 when the Stockton Brawler stepped in late to fight the Irishman, after Rafael dos Anjos pulled out of their scheduled fight. The 39-year-old pulled off the monumental upset by submitting the then featherweight champion in the second round.
“The Notorious” got his revenge later that year in a rematch, setting himself up for a possible deciding fight.
Despite this, Diaz left the UFC in 2022 to pursue opportunities in the world of boxing. He then fought Internet sensation Jake Paul in a boxing match in which he lost, and he is now scheduled to box Jorge Masvidal on July 6 in a boxing match.
However, Diaz still hopes to one day return to the UFC to finally settle his rivalry with McGregor, as the Irishman only has two fights left on his current UFC contract.
“We’ll see what happens over time, it depends on what happens with my fight, his fight, the UFC, I’m not a fortune teller, you know what I mean, but we’ll see what happens,” the 39-year-old said.
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News Source : bloodyelbow.com
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