Conor McGregor breaks silence after devastating UFC 329 injury derails comeback: ‘I can only describe it as hell’

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 11: Conor McGregor of Ireland reacts to the injury stoppage in a welterweight fight during the UFC 329 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Conor McGregor broke his silence late Saturday night after a devastating knee injury ended his comeback in just 69 seconds at UFC 329.

After five years away, McGregor decided to threw a jumping roundhouse kick to start his fight against Max Holloway but an awkward landing ended with his knee popping. McGregor desperately tried to continue but the damage was already done after he struggled to maintain his balance after getting back to his feet, the referee had no choice but to stop the fight with Max Holloway getting the win via TKO.

McGregor limped out of the octagon with help from his team but he took to Twitter to issue his first statement on the disastrous ending to his comeback.

“My head gasket is gone,” McGregor wrote. “Destroyed. I had no injury/injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight.

“This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.”

My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026

McGregor didn’t give any update on his actual injury, although UFC doctors have predicted that he likely suffered a torn ACL in his knee. He’ll have to undergo further testing to know the full extent of the injuries he suffered during the fight.

But McGregor’s statement ends the multitude of conspiracy theories that started floating around as soon as the fight ended that he was already injured heading into the fight.

The UFC 329 broadcast even showed McGregor allegedly favoring his knee as he took off his shoes and got ready to set foot in the octagon for his fight. Obviously, McGregor says otherwise and the injury that happened on Saturday was just a freak occurrence.

Of course, McGregor has suffered a torn ACL in the past, ironically enough during his first fight against Holloway back in 2013. On that night, McGregor tore the ACL in his left knee and he had that surgically repaired by famed physician Dr. Neal Ellattrache.

McGregor made a quicker recovery than most as he returned to the octagon just 11 months later following surgery.

But that was 13 years ago and now McGregor is about to turn 38 years old and he suffered the injury in his right knee so there’s no telling how long he could potentially be out of action.

Only time will tell if McGregor is able to plot another comeback or if this injury could potentially spell the end of his combat sports career.

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