Conor McGregor once wore a Brazilian flag-colored mouthguard, sparking rumors of a planned callout to challenge Charles Oliveira.
During his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, McGregor appeared to sport a mouthguard reminiscent of the Brazilian flag, which later fueled speculation about his intentions. Many suspected that had 'The Notorious' emerged victorious, he might have called out then-lightweight champion Oliveira.
However, fate had a different outcome in store for the former two-division champion when, at the close of the first round, he unleashed a left hand that resulted in his left leg fracturing beneath him. Unable to continue, McGregor's injury prompted the doctor to call off the fight, thereby granting Poirier the victory via TKO.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
The Irishman's defeat dashed his hopes of facing 'Do Bronx'. However, McGregor's move to wear a Brazil-themed gumshield was met with ridicule from fans at the time.
One fan wrote:
"I would assume he has it in to pay respects to another fellow Brazilian, Anderson Silva, with the leg snap."
Another wrote:
"Only called out Doktah Stoopedge."
Check out some more reactions below:
"Conor got broken dreams."
When Charles Oliveira labeled Conor McGregor's injury "sad for the sport"
Conor McGregor's injury led him to step back from active competition, and fast forward to 2024, 'The Notorious' remains absent from the MMA scene.
However, during an August 2021 interview with MMA Fighting, Charles Oliveira expressed his wish for McGregor's complete recovery. He hoped that he would soon return to showcase his prowess in the sport he excels in:
"I hope he comes back 100 percent again and continues to put on a show and making things happen, because he sells a lot. He’s a guy that does a lot for the sport. It’s up to his head, how much he still wants this. Some people had serious injuries and bounced back."
He added:
"Let’s see how much Conor wants to return, how much Conor wants to fight again. It’s sad. It’s complicated. Getting knocked out, getting submitted, f**k, that’s cool, but [losing] that way, I don’t like it, man. It hurts."