Durinho focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Unlike Renato Moicano , Gilbert Durinho did not classify Conor McGregor 's return to MMA as shameful. On the contrary, the veteran made a point of showing his solidarity with the Irish star, who suffered a serious knee injury just over a minute into the fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 , an event held last Saturday (11), in Las Vegas (USA).
On his official YouTube channel, Durinho lamented McGregor's injury. At the moment, it's unknown how long "Notorious" will be sidelined, but it's likely he'll be out for a while. It's worth remembering that the MMA legend hadn't competed in five years and, the last time he stepped into the octagon, he broke his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in the trilogy fight.
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It's true that McGregor, despite admitting he's at rock bottom, promised total focus on recovery and guaranteed he will fight his last fight under his UFC contract. Dana White, on the other hand, seemed uncertain about the star's future. Meanwhile, the Brazilian revealed he's rooting for 'Notorious' to turn things around, because, like many, he believes his presence is extremely important to MMA.
"Wow, UFC 329 was going really well until the main event, until McGregor. I was sad . I thought it was a huge mistake. The guy, after five years, a millionaire, came back, gave it all up, said he found Jesus, went back to his family, did everything, but couldn't do anything. He started the way he always does, always starting with a crazy kick, doing some spinning kicks, doing crazy things. It seems like he likes to start by intimidating you, locking you down, to mess with your mind, but he wrecked his knee," said the athlete.
"That's what it looked like there. He fell all awkwardly. It looks like his knee already went down on the first kick. Then, on the second, it seems like it got worse. Holloway saw it quickly, I think before everyone else. And then, when he put his foot down, the guy faltered and the referee stopped the fight. So, even though it's McGregor, a crazy guy, I felt sad for him . He achieved so much. Featherweight champion, lightweight champion, millionaire, fought Mayweather. Then he goes to fight and breaks his leg. Madness."
“He was accused of several bad things, tried to be president, did a lot of crazy things. The guy kind of seemed all drugged up, like he was crazy, but at one point, he seemed to want to get things right. He got married, came back, said he found Jesus, that he's in church, talking about God. It seems like the guy was trying. I felt sorry for him. ”
“I thought Holloway was going to beat him. I thought he could last two or three rounds. Then, when Holloway picked up the pace, he’d finish the fight. But unfortunately, we didn’t even see that, did we? I’ll be rooting for McGregor to come back . I think he’s very good for MMA . It won’t be good for him.”
“If it’s that cruciate ligament surgery, it’s going to take a really long time to recover. It’s almost a year to come back. The knee won’t be the same again. So, it’s a very delicate surgery. I hope McGregor comes back . I was sad . I wasn’t even worried, I wasn’t pissed off. I was sad that the guy couldn’t fight , even though I thought he would get a beating. I’ll be rooting for him ,” he concluded.
Durinho's fighters in MMA
Gilbert Burns , 39, was successful in Jiu-Jitsu and is a legend in MMA. The Brazilian began his career in the sport in 2012, debuted in the UFC in 2014, and retired in 2026. At his peak, he competed for the welterweight title (up to 77,1 kg).
In this sport, Durinho built a record of 22 wins and ten losses. His main victories were over Demian Maia , Jorge Masvidal , Neil Magny , Stephen Thompson , and Tyron Woodley.
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