Conor McGregor leg break: How long is the Irishman expected to be out for?

Conor McGregor is expected to spend a significant amount of time on the sidelines after breaking his left leg in the main event of UFC 264. But how long exactly will the former UFC two-division champion be out for?

It takes four to six months for the average person to recover from the injury, but Conor McGregor is not the average person. According to the Irishman, he'll only have to spend six weeks on a crutch before he can start walking on his own.

Shortly after the surgery, Conor McGregor took to social media to give fans an update regarding his recovery. In a video he posted on Twitter, 'The Notorious' said:

"Everything went perfect! I'm feeling tremendous! We got six weeks on the crutch now and then we begin to build back."

Dr. Rand McClain, an expert in regenerative sports medicine who has experience working with professional athletes, spoke with FanSided to give a timeline for McGregor's recovery. According to LCR Health's Chief Medical Officer:

"He can start hitting the bag as early as three weeks. And then bicycle work, continuous bag work, and ring work at six weeks, and then again if everything’s going well, he would have full clearance. Most likely by 12 weeks to do everything else he feels like doing."

Conor McGregor won't be back until 2022

Conor McGregor fired a shot at his rival Dustin Poirier as soon as he had the chance. The Irish megastar pointed out that his rival's win was "illegitimate" because it came as a result of an injury.

"It was a hell of a first round. It would have been nice to get into that second round to see what's what," McGregor said. "But it is what it is, that's the nature of the business. A clean break of the tibia and it was not to be. Dustin you can celebrate that illegitimate win all you want but you've done nothing in there."

UFC president Dana White, McGregor and Poirier all seem intent on making a fourth fight happen. However, the Irishman won't be able to return to the octagon this year even if he recovers at a miraculously quick rate.

MMA journalist Al Dawson reported that a medical suspension will keep McGregor out for the remainder of 2021, with January 2022 the earliest date that he can be cleared to return to action.