McGregor alluded to a knee injury in the aftermath of his UFC 189 victory over Chad Mendes. With just over a month to his featherweight title unification bout, he revealed just how debilitating it was.
Very, very few MMA fighters go into bouts at 100% fitness.
Given the nature of their profession and rigorous training schedule, knocks and strains are part of the game.
Even so, tearing 80% of one's anterior cruciate ligament would be enough to force many fighters out of a bout. McGregor told Irish MMA fans about the knee injury during a Q&A at The Wright Venue ahead of UFC Dublin, which was covered by
Independent.ie.
This may explain why McGregor was so irate when Jose Aldo withdrew with a rib fracture.
McGregor commented, "14 weeks before the fight I tore 80% of my ACL.
"I could barely walk, I could barely kick. So, once again, I had a lot of adversity to overcome.
"But honestly, I went into that fight and I beat Chad on one leg. After going through that adversity I feel like I have gained three new legs."
