Despite Conor McGregor's positivity after a successful surgery on his broken leg, the polarising UFC fighter won't be allowed to return until at least January next year.
McGregor's highly-anticipated third bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 finished in anti-climactic fashion on Sunday after the Irishman broke his leg in the final stages of the first round.
Poirier was given the win via a doctor's stoppage as McGregor was eventually taken to hospital for surgery where he told fans on Monday things had gone smoothly.
"Just out of the surgery room — everything went to plan. Everything went perfect," the 32-year-old said in a video on social media on Monday.
"I’m feeling tremendous. We’ve got six weeks on a crutch now and then we begin to build back.
“I want to thank all the fans all around the world for your messages of support. I hope you all enjoyed the show. I want to thank all the fans in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena — 21,800 fans in attendance.
“The place was absolutely electric. It was a hell of a first round. It would have been nice to get into that second round and then, you know, to see what’s what. But it is what it is, that’s the nature of the business. It was a clean break of the tibia and it was not to be.
“Dustin, you can celebrate that illegitimate win all you want, but you’ve done nothing in there. That second round would have shown all.
“Onwards and upwards we go, team. We dust ourselves off, we build ourselves back and we come back better than ever. Let’s go, team.”
That comeback will take some time though with the UFC issuing a medical suspension to McGregor this morning in response to his gruesome injury.
The suspension lasts until January 7th 2022, meaning McGregor won't be allowed to enter the Octagon again unless he is cleared by an orthopaedic doctor.
He is also not permitted to do any contact training until August 10.
UFC President Dana White has hinted a fourth bout between the two fighters could be made to give fans a real conclusion to the rivalry.
“It sucks,” White said at the post-UFC 264 press conference. “It’s brutal. It’s not the way you want to see fights end. Dustin Poirier will fight for the title, and when Conor is healed and ready to go, you do the rematch, I guess. I don’t know.”
Sunday's loss was McGregor's third in four fights since October 2018, dropping his career record to 22-6.
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