TLDR
- Israel Adesanya believes Conor McGregor entered UFC 329 already injured based on video footage
- McGregor fell three times in the opening round before the fight was stopped
- Adesanya noticed McGregor didn’t put weight on his right leg when removing his Crocs before the fight
- The injury occurred after McGregor threw a kick at the start of the first round against Max Holloway
- Adesanya acknowledged McGregor could have injured himself during warm-ups before the walk-out
Sources: yardbarker.com
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has raised questions about when Conor McGregor actually suffered the injury that ended his UFC 329 fight with Max Holloway last Saturday.
The bout came to an abrupt end in the opening round when McGregor fell to the canvas three separate times inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. McGregor appeared to injure his right leg after landing awkwardly from a jumping kick at the sound of the first-round bell.
Adesanya Points to Pre-Fight Footage
Adesanya shared his observations on the “Precision with Mighty & Izzy” podcast, claiming he noticed something wrong before the fight even started. “I have eyes. When they did the replay and he took the Crocs off, he didn’t put weight on that right leg. He didn’t,” Adesanya said.
The former champion said he believes McGregor was already dealing with the injury in the locker room. “I know he was throwing it in the locker room,” Adesanya added.
Adesanya mentioned hearing about a rumor that someone placed a $900,000 bet on Holloway shortly before the fight began. He also said he observed a conversation between actors Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn before the bout through lip reading.
Israel Adesanya believes Conor McGregor was injured before entering UFC 329 octagonhttps://t.co/FMkKSYquBk
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“As much as he said afterwards, you know, ‘I wasn’t injured before the fight,’ I saw he didn’t put weight on the right leg. And that tells me something,” Adesanya explained.
McGregor Appeared Fine During Warm-Ups
Footage from McGregor’s backstage warm-up showed him throwing kicks similar to the one he attempted at the start of the fight. In those clips, McGregor did not appear to be injured.
Adesanya acknowledged this creates uncertainty about the exact timing of the injury. “For me, I will say I don’t know. That’s possible. That’s plausible. He could have hurt himself in the warm-up,” he said.
The former champion admitted the injury could have occurred between the warm-up area and the octagon. “Who knows? But all I know is when he got to the prep point and he took his Crocs off, he wasn’t standing on that leg well,” Adesanya stated.
McGregor fell after throwing a kick for the second time, then collapsed a third time while attempting to throw a punch. Referee Herb Dean waved off the fight after the third fall.
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The loss marked another setback in McGregor’s attempts to return to form in the UFC. McGregor has publicly stated his intention to return to competition, but the latest injury raises questions about the timeline for his comeback.
Adesanya’s theory has sparked debate among fans and analysts about whether McGregor should have entered the octagon if he was dealing with a pre-existing injury. McGregor himself has denied being injured before the fight began.
