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The return of Conor McGregor came and went in the blink of an eye. After only 69 seconds at UFC 329, the former two-division champion succumbed to his second straight loss via brutal leg injury.
To begin his rematch with Max Holloway on Saturday night in Las Vegas, McGregor rushed to the center of the Octagon and threw a jumping switch kick. He missed the mark, then threw another head kick and awkwardly fell to the floor. At that point, something seemed off about the Irishman as Holloway pursued the finish and secured it shortly thereafter, with McGregor noticeably hobbling in pain.
It was McGregor's first appearance in five years, following a gnarly leg break in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. UFC CEO Dana White spoke to the media at UFC 329’s post-fight press conference and reacted to the disappointing conclusion to a card that broke the promotion’s record for highest-grossing gate.
Conor McGregor lost to Max Holloway in just 69 seconds. (Esther Lin, Uncrowned)
Esther Lin
"Everybody who knows anything about the fight business, it's been a big topic of discussion leading up to this fight: Five years off in this sport is rough," White said. "Great card. Unbelievable. The Paddy Pimblett thing right before. You just feel it all in the air. Here we go. I was expecting at least a one-round war. Who knew what Conor was capable of as far as cardio or whatever else after a five-year layoff? Well, there you go.
"We're assuming blown ACL. I'm not a doctor, but that's what I figured when I saw it, and doctors think the same thing too."
After the fight, McGregor immediately left the T-Mobile Arena. White didn't get a chance to speak with him, but McGregor was seen leaving and declining the use of crutches.
The anticlimactic outcome got former featherweight champion Holloway back in the win column after a loss to Charles Oliveira in March. He and McGregor first met in 2013, with McGregor winning a unanimous decision while also coincidentally suffering a knee injury.
Despite the former champions now being tied up with one win apiece in their two-fight series, White is unsure whether or not a trilogy bout will be made in the future. As for the potential of a preexisting injury, White isn't sold on the quickly circulating speculation.
"The day of the press conference, [McGregor] came running out of the back and ran right up to [Holloway] and stopped abruptly. Squared off with him. They were pushing foreheads," White said.
"I wouldn't know [if he was hurt beforehand]. The doctors checked him out before the fight, and he looked damn good at the press conference, and he looked fine at the weigh-ins. If anybody saw anything that could have possibly made him look weaker or injured leading up to this fight — what did the f***ing faceoff do, 44 million [views] in 24 hours? More? Somebody would have saw something. Anybody see something? No? If they did, they didn't say it, which is impossible. Nobody would do that."
McGregor addressed the result of the fight on social media in the hours after UFC 329. Regarding the speculation, in particular, McGregor denied having any preexisting injuries.
Said McGregor:
After White initially wrapped up his time at the desk during the event’s post-fight presser, he even came back to address the speculation one more time.
"Just on my accounts, the faceoff is at 80 million views, right? So, if there was a preexisting injury, somebody would have noticed it. If he was limping, put his shoes on, he ran right at him," White said.
"I don't think there was. Anything is possible, but he sure didn't look like it. And for 80 million just on my accounts, that number has got to be massive. Nobody noticed anything, so there you go."
McGregor (22-7) has now lost three straight fights for the first time in his 29-fight career. His lone win since 2016 came against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in January 2020. Throughout his recovery process during this latest layoff, he was scheduled to return earlier than Saturday and face Michael Chandler in June 2024. He ultimately withdrew with a broken pinky toe. Later that same year, McGregor found himself embroiled in legal troubles when he was found liable for the sexual assault of Nikita Hand.
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To begin his rematch with Max Holloway on Saturday night in Las Vegas, McGregor rushed to the center of the Octagon and threw a jumping switch kick. He missed the mark, then threw another head kick and awkwardly fell to the floor. At that point, something seemed off about the Irishman as Holloway pursued the finish and secured it shortly thereafter, with McGregor noticeably hobbling in pain.
It was McGregor's first appearance in five years, following a gnarly leg break in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. UFC CEO Dana White spoke to the media at UFC 329’s post-fight press conference and reacted to the disappointing conclusion to a card that broke the promotion’s record for highest-grossing gate.
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Conor McGregor lost to Max Holloway in just 69 seconds. (Esther Lin, Uncrowned)
Esther Lin
"Everybody who knows anything about the fight business, it's been a big topic of discussion leading up to this fight: Five years off in this sport is rough," White said. "Great card. Unbelievable. The Paddy Pimblett thing right before. You just feel it all in the air. Here we go. I was expecting at least a one-round war. Who knew what Conor was capable of as far as cardio or whatever else after a five-year layoff? Well, there you go.
"We're assuming blown ACL. I'm not a doctor, but that's what I figured when I saw it, and doctors think the same thing too."
After the fight, McGregor immediately left the T-Mobile Arena. White didn't get a chance to speak with him, but McGregor was seen leaving and declining the use of crutches.
The anticlimactic outcome got former featherweight champion Holloway back in the win column after a loss to Charles Oliveira in March. He and McGregor first met in 2013, with McGregor winning a unanimous decision while also coincidentally suffering a knee injury.
Despite the former champions now being tied up with one win apiece in their two-fight series, White is unsure whether or not a trilogy bout will be made in the future. As for the potential of a preexisting injury, White isn't sold on the quickly circulating speculation.
"The day of the press conference, [McGregor] came running out of the back and ran right up to [Holloway] and stopped abruptly. Squared off with him. They were pushing foreheads," White said.
"I wouldn't know [if he was hurt beforehand]. The doctors checked him out before the fight, and he looked damn good at the press conference, and he looked fine at the weigh-ins. If anybody saw anything that could have possibly made him look weaker or injured leading up to this fight — what did the f***ing faceoff do, 44 million [views] in 24 hours? More? Somebody would have saw something. Anybody see something? No? If they did, they didn't say it, which is impossible. Nobody would do that."
McGregor addressed the result of the fight on social media in the hours after UFC 329. Regarding the speculation, in particular, McGregor denied having any preexisting injuries.
Said McGregor:
After White initially wrapped up his time at the desk during the event’s post-fight presser, he even came back to address the speculation one more time.
"Just on my accounts, the faceoff is at 80 million views, right? So, if there was a preexisting injury, somebody would have noticed it. If he was limping, put his shoes on, he ran right at him," White said.
"I don't think there was. Anything is possible, but he sure didn't look like it. And for 80 million just on my accounts, that number has got to be massive. Nobody noticed anything, so there you go."
McGregor (22-7) has now lost three straight fights for the first time in his 29-fight career. His lone win since 2016 came against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in January 2020. Throughout his recovery process during this latest layoff, he was scheduled to return earlier than Saturday and face Michael Chandler in June 2024. He ultimately withdrew with a broken pinky toe. Later that same year, McGregor found himself embroiled in legal troubles when he was found liable for the sexual assault of Nikita Hand.
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