Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman says Conor McGregor’s broken leg from 2021 could still be a real problem if McGregor returns to the Octagon. McGregor has been linked to a possible comeback at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week.
Weidman says a broken leg changes you
Weidman suffered a similar broken leg in the Octagon. He says coming back after that kind of injury is not easy. He told reporters that even after time to heal, a fighter may not be the same.
“That was in 2021. He’s had enough time to recover, but I will say, your first time coming back — because I went through a very similar injury — it is hard to be the person you were beforehand, for sure,” Weidman said.
He explained how the injury affects both the body and the mind. In training, he could throw kicks again. But in his first real fight after the injury, his instincts failed him.
“I was getting kicked, and as soon as I went to throw my kick back — because that was always the instinct, you get kicked, you kick back — I just couldn’t do it. My body wouldn’t let me do it. It’s just crazy when you go through a traumatic injury like that, how it can affect your head.”
McGregor’s comeback talk and UFC 329
Conor McGregor has talked often about returning since he healed, but he has not fought since the broken leg in 2021. There has been talk that he could return at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week.
UFC president Dana White sounded positive about the idea when asked recently. “It’s looking good,” White said about McGregor getting back into the Octagon. He added: “Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.”
What it could mean for McGregor
Weidman said he hopes the best for McGregor. But his own experience shows the first fight back can be the toughest. Even if the leg is healed, old habits and instincts can be hard to trust again.
That is the main concern for fighters coming off a severe injury: the body may heal, but confidence and reaction can lag. Weidman’s story is a warning that recovery can be a long process, sometimes longer than five years for a fighter to feel the same.
Reporting by UFCcoverage.
