Conor McGregor crashes Bellator Dublin event, explains mindset behind pulling out of UFC 303: "I don't want to give advantages to these bums"

Conor McGregor addressed his recent withdrawal from UFC 303 in an unexpected appearance at Bellator Dublin this past weekend. The Irishman sidelined with a broken pinky toe, spoke to Bellator analyst Dan Hardy during the event.

McGregor's return was slated for June 29 against Michael Chandler, but a training mishap forced him to postpone the fight. This latest setback comes after a long road back from a devastating leg injury suffered in his July 2021 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier.

Taking responsibility for the delay, McGregor admitted to a "lapse in concentration" that caused the toe injury. However, he emphasized this hasn't deterred his focus.

In an interview with Dan Hardy inside the octagon, 'The Notorious' expressed his disappointment saying:

"You know, I'm still here rocking away. I had a little lapse of concentration and I had to reschedule the bout, so I'm a little upset about that... But it's keeping me dialed in, it's keeping me focused. I can't rock around like I'm out there showing up, like I'm out there doing my job. The job is not done, so that's not bad for someone like me."

McGregor further added saying:

"If I was any one of these other little bums that can't move, that have no footwork, they don't rely on their skills... then I would be ok. And I've done it before, I've made the walk on a multitude of times under those circumstances and given these bums an advantage over me that they don't even deserve... So now I'm dialing it in, I'm getting these training camps correct. I'm walking in there 100 percent Conor McGregor, injury free. Perfection is on the menu."

Check out Conor McGregor's comments below:

McGregor appeared at the Bellator event to support teammate Sinead Kavanagh, who unfortunately lost via submission, and fellow Irish prospect Paul Hughes, who is scheduled to fight later in the event.