"This was the result of cumulative damage" - Doctor breaks down Conor McGregor's injury at UFC 264
![Conor McGregor (left), Dr. Brian Sutterer (right) [Photo credit: Brian Sutterer MD on YouTube]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/07/85cb6-16260731481223-800.jpg?w=500)
A resident physician at the Mayo Clinic has weighed in on Conor McGregor's freak accident that resulted in the abrupt end of his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The blockbuster event concluded with a doctor's stoppage after the Irish megastar broke his left tibia in the closing moments of round one.
There were a couple of theories as to when exactly the Irishman fractured his leg, but Dr. Brian Sutterer believes the injury resulted from accumulative damage. In a video uploaded to YouTube, Sutterer broke down the sequences leading up to McGregor's brutal injury. According to the doctor:
"I still feel like this was a result of more so cumulative damage rather than one specific check or one specific block. Combined with that ultimate twisting torsion right there that's put through Conor's leg as he goes to plant and step off. Of course, ultimately leading into that inversion position and the completion of that fracture."
Watch the full breakdown of Conor McGregor's injury below:
Brian Sutterer dismisses theories about Conor McGregor's injury
Dustin Poirier claimed his rival broke his shin bone early in the fight when Conor McGregor threw a leg kick that was promptly checked. However, Sutterer disagreed with the top-ranked lightweight and pointed out why that specific check couldn't have caused the fracture.
"I have to disagree with Poirier here," Sutterer said. "Because if we look at the contact on this kick, it really didn't hit McGregor's shin or the tibia, which was the primary bone that was injured."
"Really, McGregor kicks and lands with the top portion and kind of the outer portion of that left foot. I really don't think there would've been enough energy here to deliver enough torsional load into his tibia. So despite this being a really hard kick, which was checked very well, I don't think this was when there was an actual break in the bone."
The medical practitioner also debunked claims made by Conor McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh. In an interview with Laura Sanko for W2W, Kavanagh said he believes the injury occurred when Poirier blocked McGregor's kick with his elbow towards the end of the first round.
"The reason I don't think this was the moment where that fracture was completed is because the primary contact here is on the fibula. That's the bone on the outside portion of the leg and I don't suspect that this would've been enough energy to break the fibula as well as transfer enough [pressure] to break the tibia."
Conor McGregor is on his way to recovery after undergoing surgery earlier today. The Irishman is expected to be out of commission for six to nine months but has vowed to return to the octagon once he's fully healed.