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- Conor McGregor is forbidden from competing in professional fighting for 180 days.
- The medical suspension follows his second-round knockout loss to Dustin Poirier on Saturday.
- McGregor was knocked out cold with strikes after Poirier had purposely targeted his calf with kicks.
- The Irishman can have the suspension reduced once a doctor confirms his leg injuries have healed.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
FIGHT ISLAND – Conor McGregor has been slapped with a six-month medical suspension from fighting after he was brutally knocked out Saturday.
McGregor was overcome at UFC 257, held in the Etihad Arena on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, knocked out by American competitor Dustin Poirier.
Poirier shellacked the Irishman against the fence, beat him to the floor, and left him bloodied on the canvas by the second round.
The catalyst for McGregor’s downfall was an unrelenting kick to the calf that left him unable to walk properly.
The former two-weight UFC champion limped out of the arena and had crutches nearby when he turned up to the post-event press conference Insider attended.
Mixed Martial Arts, the official record-keeper for MMA, sent Insider a statement Monday detailing medical suspensions for athletes competing at UFC 257 - the final event of the UFC's two-week residency in the UAE.
Medical suspensions for fighters who have recently competed are common in the industry regardless of whether they've won or lost. They're designed to allow fighters to recover properly from the exertions of their bouts.
Poirier has been ordered to seven days of mandatory rest, for example, while McGregor has been told he cannot compete for 180 days unless he receives clearance from a doctor over his right tibia and fibula, pending an X-ray.
McGregor called the loss "heartbreaking" but said he'd console himself with an Irish coffee, pancakes for breakfast, and by spending time with his family on a $4 million yacht.
Other, select, medical suspensions from UFC 257 include seven days of mandatory rest for UFC debutant Michael Chandler, who obliterated Dan Hooker in the first round with strikes.
Hooker, meanwhile, is forbidden to compete for 45 days and must not spar for 30.
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Dustin Poirier just knocked out Conor McGregor in a stunning Fight Island upset