Many around the MMA community have theorized what could’ve led to Conor McGregor‘s leg break in the UFC 264 main event against Dustin Poirier; ranging from a pre-existing injury suffered in camp, to a stiff check by Poirier during the bout.
But a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist has weighed in on what he thinks could’ve been the reason for the injury.
Dr. Brian Sutterer has his own YouTube channel with over 500-thousand subscribers, in which he breaks down sports injuries and why they happen. In a recent post, Sutterer goes into specific detail behind McGregor’s fractured lower tibia, in which he underwent surgery directly following UFC 264 this past weekend.
“If we look at the contact on this kick, it doesn’t even hit McGregor’s shin, or the tibia, which was the primary bone that was injured,” Sutterer said in the video. “I still feel this was more the result of cumulative damage, rather than one specific check or one specific block.”
“The primary contact here is on the fibula. That’s the bone on the outside portion of the leg. I don’t suspect this will have been enough energy to break the fibula, as well as transfer enough through to break the tibia.”
After the fight, Poirier opined that the injury could’ve happened during a checked leg kick earlier in the fight, but Sutterer disagreed. McGregor’s head coach, John Kavanagh has also said that McGregor was dealing with issues with his left ankle during his training camp for the fight.
The UFC is expected to issue a medical suspension for McGregor through the end of 2021, with the earliest return tentatively set for early 2022. Poirier will fight for the UFC lightweight title against Charles Oliveira later this year and a rematch between McGregor and Poirier could come shortly after.
What are your thoughts on Dr. Brian Sutterer’s UFC 264 comments?