"Why would a fighter ever accept defeat?" - Chael Sonnen defends Conor McGregor's post-UFC 264 excuses
Following a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, Conor McGregor has been the subject of much scrutiny and criticism from both MMA fans and media alike, in part due to his claims that he went into the fight already suffering from stress fractures in his shin.
Many have been vocal in their belief that McGregor is merely making excuses to mask the fact that he is now coming off back-to-back losses against Poirier.
However, former UFC title challenger and prominent MMA media member Chael Sonnen has backed Conor McGregor. Speaking in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen had the following to say on the topic of Conor McGregor's supposed excuses:
"So then we're to be irratated that he will not just accept defeat. Why would a fighter ever just accept defeat?.. Why would he ever accept it? Especially if he's looking for a rematch. The moment one fight ends, the marketing for the next fight begins. If he's doing that then he's doing what he should."
Conor McGregor's 'excuse tour'
Sonnen went on to state that while fans of MMA may not be used to Conor McGregor typically giving excuses after losing, it's a classic media move often used by MMA athletes to reduce the damage that a loss can do to their career. Sonnen said in his video:
"I don't mind the excuse tour. It's very common. I'm not sure why we're giving Conor a hard time, for all of a sudden joining the tour. The tour's much bigger than him and has been around much longer, and will be here long after him. It's just unusual, it's not the way Conor's done things before."
Conor McGregor will now be forced to spend the rest of 2021 on the sidelines after a medical suspension has him out until January 2022 at the earliest.
When he does finally return, Dana White has hinted at a fourth fight between Poirier and McGregor. Should this happen, the fact that Conor McGregor has in some way illegitimised the result of the third fight may well fall in his favor.
Whilst McGregor recovers, Dustin Poirier will likely face off against the current UFC lightweight champion Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira. Should 'The Diamond' be successful, Conor McGregor could well be looking at a shot against the champion in his next UFC outing.