"I helped train a guy to kill someone" - When Conor McGregor mourned the death of his teammate's opponent 48 hours after a fight
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Conor McGregor opened up about the harrowing experience of witnessing the death of his teammate's opponent in the ring. Back in 2016, during a fight in Dublin, McGregor watched as his stablemate Charlie Ward, a talented featherweight champion, earned a third-round TKO victory over a young fighter named Joao Carvalho.
The seemingly routine fight night turned tragic when Carvalho, who had suffered a brutal beating and excessive bleeding, tragically passed away from brain injuries less than 48 hours later. An inquest later revealed Carvalho had endured a significant number of blows to the head during the fight.
McGregor, in a conversation with Men's Health, spoke about the profound impact this incident had on him:
"How do I feel?... It’s f**ked up, I wasn’t just watching that fight. I helped train a guy to kill someone, and then someone wound up dying. This is a f**king dangerous game. People call it a sport, but it’s fighting. I’m just making sure it ain’t me. And that’s f**ked up.”
Check out the clip from the fight between Charlie Ward and Joao Carvalho below:
When Conor McGregor feared his career was over after leg injury in Dustin Poirier rematch
Conor McGregor revealed in his Netflix documentary that he feared his career was over after suffering a horrific leg injury during his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
The much-anticipated trilogy bout ended abruptly after McGregor's leg buckled beneath him during the first round. A doctor's stoppage awarded the victory to Poirier, leaving McGregor with a fractured tibia that required surgery.
A clip shared by McGregor on his Instagram shows him reflecting on the injury in the documentary:
“I thought it was over as well, that’s why I flipped into a different mode. Now, it was the adrenaline as well and I know it would’ve calmed down and part of me is thinking ‘Jesus, imagine it was just taken from me like that… I would be a different person and it was a bit scary, to be honest. But it’s McGregor forever. That’s it! It’s done. It’s McGregor forever and don’t you forget it.” [H/t:Talk Sport]
Check out the clip shared by Conor McGregor below:
Thankfully, McGregor has fully recovered and is set to make his long-awaited return to the octagon on June 29 at UFC 303 in Las Vegas. He will face Michael Chandler in the main event of International Fight Week.
McGregor, boasting a record of 22-6, has struggled in recent years, winning just one fight since 2016. Chandler, with a record of 23-8, is coming off a loss to Poirier in November 2022.