KEY POINTS
- Mohammad Fakhreddine believes Conor McGregor has changed after the boxing match against Floyd Mayweather
- McGregor has lost three of his last four fights and is currently nursing an injury
- Fakhreddine feels fighters will never be the same once they suffer a gruesome injury
There is no telling what the future holds for mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor, who horrifically injured his ankle at UFC 264.
It is expected to keep him sidelined for quite some time.
Surgeons suggest that McGregor will have to be on crutches for at least six weeks and would need another 12 months before he can compete again.
UFC president Dana White explained that McGregor’s ankle was not in good condition before his match with Dustin Poirier.
White pointed out how “The Notorious” had chronic arthritis in both ankles and these carried on for the last couple of years.
"He’s had ankle issues for the last couple of years," White said to Fox News. "He had asked if he could tape his ankles coming into this fight, and then he opted not to tape them. I don’t know why."
However, the angle of McGregor dealing with an injury has raised questions.
Bob Bennett, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic State Commission, claimed that they were never aware of McGregor’s pre-existing injuries.
The Irishman would have been required to fill out a pre-fight questionnaire, confirming that he was well enough to fight per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Putting the injury aside, most have noticed that things have just not been the same for the former UFC champion.
He has won only once in his last four fights, raising questions on whether his professional career is on the decline.
BRAVE CF middleweight champion Mohammad Fakhreddine weighed in on the case of McGregor and pointed out how things have just not been the same for the 33-year-old Irishman on Sports Bytes Philippines hosted by Rica Aquino and Brian Yalung.
“Conor [McGregor] hasn’t been the same since he fought Floyd [Mayweather]. I think him making way too much money was his offside. He was never the same after that fight. You can tell from the results. He won two out of six? I think him making too much money… at first, he was hungry. I felt that in his mind, he is still a little hungry but his heart doesn’t want it anymore,” Fakhreddine stated.
When asked by Aquino how injuries affect fighters, “The Latest” simply put that things will just never be the same for the athlete.
Mohammad Fakhreddine of BRAVE CF Photo: BRAVE CF
“Whatever injuries you get, even if you break a nail, it’s never going to be the same. So you can only imagine if you break a bone or tore a muscle or a ligament or whatever it is. You’re never going to be the same. You can try and work your way through injuries, but you will never be the same,” he said.
Fakhreddine is set to return to active duty on August 1 at BRAVE CF 52: Bad Blood.
The 37-year-old will take on Mohamed Said Maalem in a clash for the vacant light heavyweight title, eyeing to be BRAVE CF’s first two-division world champion.
