Conor McGregor slams his UFC peers as ‘b*tches’ and ‘nobodies’ over their lack of sympathy for him – but should he be surprised?

UFC firebrand Conor McGregor says that his peers haven't shown him support as he recovers from a broken leg suffered in his bout with Dustin Poirier. Given the barbs he has aimed at his fellow fighters, should he be surprised?

McGregor suffered a grotesque break of his lower left leg towards the end of the first round in his July trilogy bout with American rival Poirier – the result, he said, of damage he suffered while training for the pivotal lightweight clash.

The injury was eerily reminiscent of similar breaks suffered by both Anderson Silva several years ago and Chris Weidman earlier this year, a fighter to whom McGregor sent words of encouragement when he posted updates to his recovery on social media.

But McGregor says that his UFC peers haven't quite been as forthcoming in wishing him well throughout his recovery process, which doctors predict could take anywhere from nine months to a year – a situation he expressed to Silva when the Brazilian icon added his name to the short list of McGregor well-wishers.

"Stay ready to prepare your mind for when you're back [so] you're back strong, you're back better," Silva said, addressing McGregor on an episode of Australian podcast Submission Radio.

"Prove how much you love your job and how much you can continue to do this – then you have the same Anderson, the same Weidman, the same Conor. Mentally, it's very important."

Noting the middleweight great's message to him, McGregor thanked his fellow former UFC champion – but stated that similar messages have been a rarity.

"I appreciate this message greatly Anderson, thank you," McGregor said in reply. "You know, since this freak injury happened to me, I've had very little support from my fellow colleagues.

"In fact quite the exact opposite. The claws came out. But no worries! I love a little scratch from a b*tch. See yous when I get ya's, you's little nobodies!"

Given some of the insults that McGregor has aimed at some of his rivals, is it really that surprising if his fellow UFC fighters haven't been entirely forthcoming with 'Get Well Soon' cards?

After all, this is the man who has rolled out some of the more aggressive insults in UFC history, including:

To Jose Aldo: "After that five-round Mendes fight, which arguably could’ve went to him, you look like you’ve had a stroke. The left side of your face is drooping. I’m worried about you."

To Eddie Alvarez: "You've never been against a guy like me, you're an absolute bum. You're a sh*tehawk. You get dropped in every fight. Look at your face. You're the most beat up guy there is."

To Khabib Nurmagomedov: "He’s a glass jaw. The Chechens, my Chechen friends… they told me that they have chicken jaws in Dagestan and I believe them because I know a glass jaw when I see one.

I’ve seen this man wobble many times. I’ve seen his brother sparked unconscious in another promotion. I know he is afraid of a smack, and if you are afraid of a smack off me, a smack will feel like a double-barrel shotgun."

To Dustin Poirier: "You’re getting walked like a dog in that octagon on Saturday night! You’re only a little b*tch. Your wife is your husband. You’re only a little b*tch of a thing, a silly little hillbilly. Jolie’s wife! You little b*tch of a thing."

In light of the sheer range of insults doled out by the Dubliner throughout his fractious UFC career, can he really be overly-critical of his fellow UFC fighters for not inundating him with messages of support? 

McGregor, meanwhile, remains in the United States as he continues his long road to full fitness. He recently revealed that he is now able to place 50 percent of his body weight on his damaged leg and has been undergoing treadmill rehab.