Overview
- Conor McGregor returned to the UFC after a five-year absence and withdrew 69 seconds into his fight with Max Holloway at UFC 329, giving Holloway the victory by retirement.
- The injury occurred when McGregor landed a flying kick and his right knee gave out on the landing; he tried another kick but was unable to continue.
- UFC president Dana White and the promotion’s medical staff said they suspect an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, but formal imaging and a surgeon’s diagnosis have not yet been released.
- McGregor posted on X that he had no preexisting injury, called the experience 'an authentic hell,' and vowed to return while the UFC assesses his condition.
- Dana White warned that a five-year layoff complicates returns to mixed martial arts; if an ACL tear is confirmed, standard treatment often involves surgery and roughly a year of rehab, which could push any comeback into 2027.