It has been nearly a month since Conor McGregor’s long-awaited UFC 329 comeback ended in heartbreak. Fans had barely settled into the main event before disaster struck, as the Irish superstar injured his knee just 69 seconds into his rematch with Max Holloway, handing “Blessed” a TKO victory.
A few days later, McGregor confirmed what many had feared after undergoing medical scans. Taking to social media, the former two-division champion revealed that he had torn both his ACL and meniscus. Even more remarkably, he pointed out that it was almost identical to the injury he suffered in his first fight against Holloway back in 2013, except this time it was his opposite knee.
This past Wednesday, the Irishman finally underwent surgery and shared the news on social media as he continues to hold onto hopes of completing the final fight on his current UFC contract against Holloway. Now, the former double champion has returned to social media with another update on his recovery.
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He said, “What’s up, folks? ‘The Mac’ is back, baby. Surgery was a success, and now I’m on the road to recovery. That should tell you all you need to know about my mindset. Straight into surgery, knee repaired, and on the road. Let’s go.”
McGregor also gave shoutouts to UFC legends Dominick Cruz and Georges St-Pierre, drawing inspiration from the way they battled back from devastating knee injuries.
Cruz’s career was notoriously plagued by leg injuries, including multiple ACL tears, yet he repeatedly fought his way back to the top, most notably reclaiming the bantamweight title by defeating T.J. Dillashaw in 2016.
St-Pierre also suffered a major ACL tear in his right knee during training in December 2011 while preparing to defend his welterweight title against Nick Diaz at UFC 143. The injury forced him out of the fight and required reconstructive surgery, but he eventually returned to defend his 170lbs crown on three more occasions.
Hoping to follow in their footsteps, McGregor showed both legends plenty of respect. He said, “I want to give a shout-out to Dominick Cruz, who returned from multiple ACLs to recapture his bantamweight crown. Georges St-Pierre, multiple ACLs. I don’t know whether he returned after his second ACL, however, he’s doing backflips and his movement is still stellar.”
He added, “Other notables in other sports, NFL, Tom Brady’s done it. Aaron [Rodgers] done it. These are my motivation here, especially the fighting boys. Unstoppable, baby. My mindset is unstoppable, unbreakable.”
Surgery done.
Knee repaired.
The doubters can keep talking.
I didn’t run from the pain.
I walked straight into it.
Now the real work begins.
Comeback season starts now.
No shortcuts. No excuses.
Just the will to rise again. pic.twitter.com/Oq77VDX3IJ— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 7, 2026
Alongside the video, McGregor also wrote in the caption: “Surgery done. Knee repaired. The doubters can keep talking. I didn’t run from the pain. I walked straight into it. Now the real work begins. Comeback season starts now. No shortcuts. No excuses. Just the will to rise again.”
This marks the second ACL injury of McGregor’s career, with both incidents coincidentally coming against Max Holloway. During their first meeting in August 2013, McGregor tore his ACL but still managed to win the fight by unanimous decision. He returned just nine months later, in July 2014, to defeat Diego Brandao.
This recovery, however, presents a much different challenge. McGregor turned 39 on July 14 and has now suffered two major injuries across his last two fights after spending five years away from active competition. Whether his body can recover the way it did when he was 25 remains one of the biggest questions surrounding his future.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
