Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the octagon lasted barely more than a minute. The former two-division champion suffered a right knee injury just 69 seconds into his UFC 329 main event against Max Holloway at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. The fight was called off after McGregor landed awkwardly on a jumping roundhouse kick attempt, stumbled to the canvas multiple times, and was unable to continue. Holloway was awarded the technical knockout victory.
The injury marks a devastating repeat of history for McGregor, whose last UFC appearance in July 2021 ended with a broken left leg against Dustin Poirier. This time, the injury appeared to be to his right knee, with UFC CEO Dana White later saying doctors are “assuming a blown ACL”. McGregor, who turns 38 on Tuesday, left the octagon without an interview, posting on social media afterward: “I had no injury going into the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell”.
The crowd at T-Mobile Arena sat in stunned silence as the bout, one of the most hyped fights of the year, ended almost before it began. Broadcasters and fans alike expressed frustration, with commentator Joe Rogan calling it a “massive, massive bummer”. Holloway, who defeated McGregor for the first time in their rivalry, was visibly disappointed, calling for a trilogy fight once McGregor recovers: “We gotta run it back one more time”.
The loss is McGregor’s seventh career defeat and his fourth in his past five fights, with only one win since 2016 . Questions about his future now loom larger than ever. With a potential ACL tear likely requiring another year-long recovery, many are wondering whether the UFC’s biggest star has fought his last fight. For now, McGregor is left to process what he described as “hell”.
