The saga of Conor McGregor blowing out his knee in bouts against Max Holloway continued. UFC 329 concluded in heartbreaking fashion as the Irishman’s comeback lasted just 69 seconds before he suffered what appeared to be a serious right knee injury while throwing a wild jumping kick in the opening exchange.
McGregor opened the fight with an explosive jumping roundhouse kick, but slow-motion replays showed him landing awkwardly before his knee buckled. Despite the injury, he tried to fight on. Holloway quickly recognized that something was wrong and capitalized, landing heavy ground strikes during two separate scrambles.
Although McGregor was clearly in agony, Holloway later revealed that the former champion was pleading with referee Mike Beltran not to stop the fight. McGregor made one final attempt to get back to his feet, but he simply couldn’t put weight on his leg. With no way for him to intelligently defend himself, Beltran waved off the contest just 1:09 into the opening round.
A devastated McGregor remained on his stool as the cageside medical team attended to him before his coaches helped him out of the Octagon. It was a crushing end to a comeback that had been months in the making after a five-year absence from MMA. For the first time since 2021, McGregor made the walk to the Octagon looking like the version of himself fans remembered.
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He brought back his iconic mohawk for the first time since his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage in 2013, walked out to his signature mashup of Foggy Dew by Sinéad O’Connor and Hypnotize by The Notorious B.I.G., hit his trademark “billionaire strut” around the cage, and pointed to the sky as Bruce Buffer introduced him. The highest-grossing UFC event ever, generating nearly $25 million at the gate, was effectively over before it had a chance to begin.
Ironically, injuries have now decided McGregor’s last two fights. He famously broke his left leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. Even more fittingly, he also tore his ACL during his first fight with Holloway back in August 2013. On that occasion, McGregor battled through the injury and won a unanimous decision. This time, the damage looked far too severe for him to continue.
McGregor chose not to do a post-fight interview inside the cage. Instead, he slowly limped down the tunnel under his own power before leaving the arena with his team. As of publication, the full extent of the injury remains unknown.
If the injury turns out to be as serious as it looked, McGregor could be facing another year on the sidelines before even considering a return. At 38 years old and after multiple career-altering injuries, there’s also the very real possibility that this could be the final chapter of his combat sports career.
As for Holloway, the former featherweight and BMF champion admitted it wasn’t the way he wanted to win. He expressed sympathy for McGregor while also leaving the door open for a trilogy fight if the Irishman is ever able to make it back. Still, fans and fighters alike were left disappointed that one of the most anticipated fights in recent UFC history ended before it truly got started.
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Islam Makhachev reacts to Conor McGregor losing #UFC329 pic.twitter.com/bH8bJIZmTO
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) July 12, 2026
Iron shin bone and iron knee tendon will be back
— Paulo Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA) July 12, 2026
Jake Paul already trolling Conor McGregor about his loss 😬 pic.twitter.com/VtAAh9Pp4M
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 12, 2026
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 12, 2026
Jokes aside, feel bad for Conor. Not the way the fight should have ended. #UFC329
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) July 12, 2026
Wow that’s unfortunate and very disappointing!!!
— Jamahal Hill (@JamahalH) July 12, 2026
Absolute disaster. It appears Conor McGregor blew out his knee on the very first kick he threw. Truly unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/HXzkMgBlY7
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 12, 2026
Daniel Cormier’s reaction to the Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway fight:
“It’s like somebody took my candy from me. I’m so sad.” 😭 #UFC329 pic.twitter.com/ZPsbBf0U3f
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 12, 2026
That’s sad man. Acl in the first 5 seconds
— LERONE MURPHY (@LeroneMurphy) July 12, 2026
Michael Chandler put a hex on this fight
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) July 12, 2026
Well… that happened.
The first strike Conor McGregor throws is a flying kick.
His planting leg gives out on impact.
Fight, over.
MMA remains the most unforgiving sport in the world.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) July 12, 2026
Told you Conor would never fight again!
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) July 12, 2026
That may been the worst ending to anything that ever ended
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) July 12, 2026
Conor McGregor is 1-5 in combat sports since 2017
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) July 12, 2026
Weirdly I feel bad for Conor.
— Bo Nickal (@NoBickal) July 12, 2026
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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.
