MMA News Roundup: Conor McGregor shows injury from car accident, Colby Covington offered to coach TUF alongside fellow welterweight, fans back Gilbert Burns to 'retire' Jorge Masvidal

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.

In today's issue, we talk about Conor McGregor's recent injury following a car accident, Colby Covington being offered a role on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), and fans reacting to Gilbert Burns versus Jorge Masvidal being booked for UFC 287.

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#3. Conor McGregor shows off injury after car knocks him off his bike

Conor McGregor made headlines this week after he was knocked off his bike whilst cycling in Ireland. Thankfully, the UFC star escaped any serious injury as he showed off the nasty gash he's been left with.

'Notorious' followed up on his post by explaining what happened in the incident. According to McGregor, the driver of the vehicle accidentally rammed into the back of his bike because they were blinded by the sun and couldn't see him.

The former double champ also credited his instincts from his MMA training and believes his adjustment whilst falling off the bike prevented further injury:

"Got a bang of a car just now from behind. A sun trap, the driver couldn’t see me. Full speed straight thru me. Thank you God, it wasn’t my time. Thank you wrestling and judo also. Having an awareness on the landing saved my life. 🙏"

Conor McGregor is still on his path to full fitness following the freak leg injury he suffered in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier back in 2021. The Irishman is expected to make his UFC return this year with the latest rumors suggesting he could feature as a coach on TUF.

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#2. Belal Muhammad reveals he and Colby Covington have been offered to coach on The Ultimate Fighter

The welterweight division is one of the most stacked in the UFC, with several fighters in the top 10 considered a real contender for the title.

Amongst the contenders is Belal Muhammad, who sits at No.4 in the rankings. 'Remember the Name' has been quietly putting together an impressive resume, which includes a current run of eight straight wins. Muhammad now believes he's one fight away from a title shot, and a win in a potential matchup against No.2-ranked Colby Covington would all but guarantee it.

In an interview with TMZ Sports earlier this week, Muhammad explained that Covington wasn't even on his radar until the UFC offered the pair roles as coaches on TUF. 'Remember the Name' stated his excitement at the prospect and urged 'Chaos' to accept:

"I wasn't even thinking about Colby [Covington]. I wasn't even thinking he was gonna fight and then they brought it to me like three weeks ago. They were like, 'Hey we're gonna give you and Colby TUF,' and I was like obviously I'm gonna be pumped, I'm excited. Because fighting downwards in my last fight, I was like this fight I need to fight upwards. Being on an eight-fight winning streak, I need to be one away from a title fight. And Colby was the perfect name. And obviously, when you fight him, you get a lot of attention, you get a lot of eyes."

Muhammad added:

"Colby, pick up the phone man! If you still think you would wanna be the champion, you still think you're one of the top guys in the division. You're gonna be sitting out for a year, there's no more guys on losing streaks that they can give you, there's no more old veterans that's in the division."

Catch the full interview here:

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#1. MMA fans favor Gilbert Burns in UFC 287 bout with Jorge Masvidal

Earlier this week, Dana White dropped some bombshells for upcoming cards throughout the year. In regards to UFC 287, the UFC president announced Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya would rematch for the title and that Gilbert Burns versus Jorge Masvidal would also feature on the same card.

The bout marks a return for 'Gamebred', who has been away from the octagon since his unanimous decision loss to Colby Covington last year. Their bout was also infamous as Masvidal attacked Covington in Miami shortly after and has been charged with criminal offenses.

The loss to 'Chaos' means Masvidal is currently on a three-fight skid, whereas 'Durinho' was back to his best last weekend as he submitted veteran Neil Magny in the first round.

Since the fight was announced, fans have leaned heavily towards Burns to take the victory. One fan even suggested the bout should be considered a retirement fight for Masvidal:

"Masvidal retirement party"

One fan's reaction to the fight

Another fan suggested that Masvidal's main-card career would be over if he suffers a fourth straight loss:

"Burns gonna send Masvidal back to the prelims...thank god"

Another fan's comment

Check out more fan reactions here.