Joe Rogan says Conor McGregor's UFC 303 withdrawal was 'wise'

Conor McGregor has faced plenty of criticism for pulling out of his fight with Michael Chandler, but Joe Rogan is on his side.

Joe Rogan agrees with Conor McGregor’s decision to pull out of UFC 303.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) withdrew from Saturday’s headliner vs. Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas due to a broken pinky toe suffered in training. The likes of former rival Rafael dos Anjos, UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and lightweight champ Islam Makhachev jumped at the opportunity to criticize McGregor for withdrawing from the fight, but Rogan thinks he made the right call.

“When you’re a guy who kicks as much as Conor, it’s a f*cking problem,” Rogan said on his “JRE Fight Companion.” “It’s also the same foot where his leg was snapped, and he went into that fight injured. He’s never pulled out of a fight before. This is the first one he’s pulled out of, and I think it’s wise.

“I think if you do have a broken toe and you are going into a fight and you did go into the last fight injured, what if that f*cking toe becomes a real issue? What if he throws a kick, and it smashes again, and he’s in agony, and he can’t move? You’ve got to be able to get the f*ck out of the way with Michael Chandler.”

McGregor, who made a public appearance over the weekend by cornering Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin, admitted that he still can’t get into a shoe but hopes to return by August or September. In the UFC on ABC 6 post-fight news conference, Dana White refused to comment on McGregor’s return until he was fully recovered.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.