Nurmagomedov and McGregor (right) (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Conor McGregor continues to campaign for a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov, and recently the star said a pre-fight injury hindered his preparation for their first fight.

McGregor faced Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 last October, and was submitted by the lightweight champ in round four. During a recent interview with Tony Robbins, the former champ said the following (quotes via MMA Weekly):

“Two and a half weeks before my last fight, I threw a front kick at a shooting Moldovan wrestler. When he shot and I threw the front kick, I threw it at his belly and my two toes, the baby toe and the toe next to it, bent back like this and stuck in that position. My doctor had to come into the cage had to stretch it and break it back into place and my foot swelled like a balloon,” McGregor said. That was two and a half weeks before the last fight. I wanted to compete and I wanted to get in there.”

“Obviously the injury — the injury itself led me to, I had to half my work. I couldn’t road run anymore. I wasn’t [fully prepared]. My weight was too high. So when you’re cutting weight, if I can’t get my weight down because of injuries or what not, I have a more intense weight cut. So I was severely dehydrated. I didn’t sleep for 48 hours before the weight cut.”

McGregor has not fought since the loss to Nurmagomedov and he is not booked for a bout. The latter, meanwhile, is expected to fight interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier later this year.