Conor McGregor's UFC return ends in injury within 69 seconds

Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated UFC return concluded in a disastrous manner as he suffered a knee injury just moments into his main event clash with Max Holloway. This fight marked McGregor's comeback at the T-Mobile Arena, his first since enduring back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021. The latter of those defeats was particularly severe, involving a significant injury to his left leg at the same Las Vegas venue.

In a troubling turn of events, McGregor sustained the injury after attempting a jumping roundhouse kick right at the start of UFC 329. Following this, he visibly struggled under any pressure from Holloway, ultimately leading the referee to stop the bout.

As McGregor departed the arena, he faced boos from the crowd, despite Holloway's attempts to encourage the Las Vegas audience to show appreciation for the Irish fighter. UFC president Dana White remarked on the situation, stating, "Everyone who knows anything about the fight business, five years off in this sport is rough. I was expecting at least a one-round war. Who knew what Conor was capable of after a five-year layoff, but there you go. We’re assuming a blown ACL."

Replays showed that McGregor’s left leg, the same one he had previously broken against Poirier five years ago, buckled even before he made it into the Octagon, raising doubts about whether the injury might have been sustained during his entrance. UFC commentators Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan speculated the 37-year-old might have torn his ACL when he landed from his kick, indicating that he could potentially be sidelined for at least another year, further complicating his fighting future.

Despite the unfortunate ending, Holloway expressed hope for a future fight saying, "We’ve got to run it back one more time. I was looking forward to it, I worked my a** off to get to 170lbs to fight this guy. For it to end like this sucks."

This incident marks yet another setback for McGregor, following the cancellation of a planned return against Michael Chandler in 2023, which collapsed two weeks prior due to a broken toe. Additionally, it comes two years after a civil jury found him liable for rape, which he denies, but his appeal against the verdict was unsuccessful.