Conor McGregor admits he has struggled with his kicks since returning from a brutally broken leg…
- Conor McGregor doesn’t kick his best while recovering from broken leg
- Fighter injured in third fight with Dustin Poirer last year
- McGregor, 34, trains in Mallorca and Dublin to help with rehabilitation
- He aims to be back next year and is confident in beating the competition
Conor McGregor has admitted he can’t kick to the best of his ability to get back into the octagon.
The UFC fighter is in the final stages of recovery from a broken leg sustained in his third fight against Dustin Poirer last July.
The 34-year-old has recently started kicking again with his injured leg, though he knows it’s not at the level required to make him a threat to his opponents.
Conor McGregor still struggles with kicking his leg he broke last year
He posted photos of himself training on Instagram from a recent trip to Mallorca, Spain.
The Notorious wrote the accompanying message with the pictures of his troubles.
He said, “If you can’t keep your leg straight at a high kicking level and keep your balance and control here, you can’t kick at the absolute level you can kick at.
“I can’t kick to the absolute level I can kick it yet. But I know where to go. Awareness is half the battle won in a fight.’
Conor McGregor (right) broke his leg in his third fight with Dustin Poirer (right) last year
McGregor was expected to be on track to make his return to the Octagon this fall, but the setback could delay his comeback until next year.
He hasn’t taken his eyes off the fights during his absence and believes he’s “levels above” the opponents he’ll be fighting soon, even going so far as to call them “all junk.”
He said: ‘I am aware that despite everything I still rank higher than everyone in my radar space of future fighting opponents.
‘By a wide margin. Al, as it is. And also that I have a steel bar in one of them. And it’s like a whip. And I don’t care.
“Let me tell you something: The first person I fight here gets kicked out of that cage. You are all garbage.
Conor McGregor is confident to get back to his best and beat the current competition
“You may have a big kick in your arsenal, but it’s not the speed, power, length and control that it could be.”
Head coach John Kavanagh believes McGregor will pose a threat when he eventually returns to the cage after recent mixed martial arts training at SGB Ireland in Dublin.
He told the BBC: ‘He’s healthy, happy and it’s great to have him back.
“The last few sessions in the gym here have been MMA focused – he’s got all the clarity on that now. He did a great session last night, we got some great rounds in. He hasn’t lost a beat and looked great.
“Believe me, I struggled a little bit with him last night and I felt it… When that silverback arm goes around your neck, there’s a little extra pinching there… he’s very, very strong right now.”