Conor McGregor has been released from the hospital on his 33rd birthday, UFC president Dana White said.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) underwent a successful three-hour surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to repair his broken left tibia and fibula Sunday after suffering the gruesome injury in his first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in the UFC 264 main event.
With seconds remaining in Round 1, Poirier let McGregor back up from the canvas, but the Irishman’s lower left leg snapped after he missed a punch. McGregor survived the round, but as soon as doctors recognized the break, they waved the fight off and Poirier was got the TKO win.
Speaking to TMZ on Wednesday, White said McGregor has been discharged from the hospital and he’s hoping the Irish superstar can return to action by next year.
“I think they just released him right now from the hospital about 10, 15 minutes ago,” White said. “He’ll be in L.A. for a little while, and I don’t know if he’s going to fly home or what he’s going to do from there. He’ll be back in a year – yeah.”
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The operation, which was performed by Dr. El Attrache and Dr. Milton Little, saw a intramedullary rod inserted in McGregor’s tibia, as well as a small plate and screws to repair the fibula. After the surgery, McGregor posted a statement on social media with a six-week timeline for his recovery.
Despite the unfortunate ending, an irate McGregor did not mince his words after the fight. He’s confident he would have beaten Poirier had he not injured his leg, even though he spent a significant amount of time on bottom in the opening frame. Both White and Poirier seemed open to the possibility of a fourth fight, but for now, McGregor is facing a long road to recovery.
