Conor McGregor shares return timeline, says broken toe is worse than leg break: "It’s very, very painful"

It appears that the toe injury that forced Conor McGregor to pull out of the fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 is more serious than what some are implying.

The Irishman was scheduled to headline the June pay-per-view alongside Chandler, marking his return to action following a three-year-long hiatus due to the leg injury sustained at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken toe in training that will prevent him from competing on the upcoming card.

'The Notorious' shed light on the severity of the injury and the timeline of his return in a recent interview with Severe MMA:

"It is tough, but we keep it dialed in. I was kind of looking forward to getting the fight wrapped up on June 29, having a nice celebration on my birthday, and then dialing back in for September or October... something like that."

McGregor added:

"Everything is moving parts. The injury is a nuisance. I'm not going to lie, it's very very painful. Probably even more painful than the leg and that's the truth. And I tell you why because the leg was at least wrapped up. I couldn't access it. The foot is just there, it's exposed. It's a bit painful."

Catch Conor McGregor's comments below (0:30):

In the lead-up to the pay-per-view, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that McGregor's return would be the first UFC event with a live gate of over $20 million. Now it remains to be seen when the 35-year-old will be fit to compete again.

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Conor McGregor claims that the UFC has "gone above for him" after toe injury forced UFC 303 withdrawal

Former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor was dialed in for the Dublin leg of the UFC 303 pre-event press conference which was scheduled for June 3 at the 3Arena. The event promised to draw a strong crowd.

However, reports of the press conference being canceled led to speculations that the fight against Michael Chandler may be in jeopardy. Now that the fight is officially dropped from the event, fans are eagerly waiting for updates regarding McGregor's return.

The SBG Ireland stalwart claimed in the aforementioned interview with Severe MMA that he received unwavering support from the UFC after the toe injury led to the fight cancellation:

"All fairness to the UFC, they have been stellar for me. They've really gone above for me and I'm so grateful for that because I was in a dark place. I'm getting there again and I'm ready to go again. I'm very appreciative of them assisting me."