Conor McGregor’s worst fears have now been confirmed. After his long-awaited return at UFC 329 ended in heartbreak following a devastating right knee injury just 69 seconds into his fight with Max Holloway, many fans hoped the damage was limited to a meniscus tear. Instead, Dana White has confirmed that the former two-division champion suffered a torn ACL which will require surgery and another long layoff.
McGregor’s appearance at UFC 329 marked his first walk to the Octagon since July 2021, ending a staggering 1,827-day layoff from competition. Expectations were sky-high for the Irish superstar’s comeback, but the fight came to an abrupt end after he injured his knee during the opening exchanges, handing Holloway a first-round TKO victory.
Following the loss, McGregor took to social media and revealed that he would undergo surgery before beginning rehab, while also expressing his desire to return for one final fight under his current UFC contract, potentially a trilogy bout against Holloway.
However, that timeline now appears far less certain. Speaking at the UFC Oklahoma post-fight press conference, White confirmed the severity of McGregor’s injury and explained why discussions about the former champion’s future are now on hold.
He said, “He’s having knee surgery. That’s it. I mean, the Conor McGregor discussion isn’t even worth talking about. He’s got to have knee surgery. He’s going to have to go through physical therapy. It’s all going to take time. And then when the doctor says you can start hardcore training again, then we start talking about Conor McGregor again.”
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Moments later, after receiving an update from someone off-camera, White clarified the exact diagnosis. He added, “ACL. His knee if fucked up!”
The latest setback adds another unfortunate chapter to McGregor’s injury-plagued career. Over the last nine years, the Irishman has fought just five times. His UFC 329 return came after a remarkable 1,827-day absence, the second-longest layoff before a comeback in UFC history behind Nick Diaz.
And since 2017, McGregor has managed just one victory while suffering four defeats, including losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway. The physical toll has arguably been even more significant than the results.
McGregor has previously revealed that he tore his ACL during his first fight with Holloway in 2013 and later competed with the injury against Chad Mendes at UFC 189. He also claimed he entered his title fight against Nurmagomedov with a broken foot and was warned about stress fractures in his tibia before facing Poirier at UFC 264, a bout that ended with his gruesome leg break at the end of the opening round.
Now, the 38-year-old faces yet another long road to recovery. An ACL reconstruction typically requires between nine and 12 months of rehabilitation before an athlete can return to competition, meaning McGregor is unlikely to step back inside the Octagon anytime soon.
Even if his recovery goes according to plan, questions will inevitably remain about whether he can recapture the explosiveness and movement that once made him one of the UFC’s most dominant champions.
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.
