Conor McGregor’s long-awaited comeback at UFC 329 ended in infamy after a devastating right knee injury just over a minute into the opening round handed Max Holloway a TKO victory. As the stunned Irishman sat inside the Octagon, Holloway was even heard asking him why he had come back in the first place. It is a question fans have continued to ask ever since. Was it for fame? Was it for another payday? According to Dominick Cruz, the answer runs much deeper.
McGregor’s return marked his first walk to the Octagon since July 2021, ending a 1,827-day absence from competition. Few people understand the emotional toll of long layoffs better than Cruz, whose own Hall of Fame career was repeatedly derailed by catastrophic injuries, including a torn ACL, a failed cadaveric ACL transplant, a torn groin, and another ACL tear in both knees.
Because of that experience, the former bantamweight champion dismissed the idea that McGregor returned simply for money or fame. Speaking during the UFC 329 Paramount+ post-show, Cruz shared an emotional perspective on what may have driven McGregor back into the cage.
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He explained, “We keep saying he doesn’t need to come back because he’s got the money, but I disagree. I think the reason why he was coming back was to save his own life from the money, from the lifestyle he’s been living. I think that he’s going to be facing that again.”
Financially, McGregor has little left to prove. Widely regarded as the wealthiest fighter in MMA history, the former two-division champion has amassed a fortune reportedly exceeding $200 million. Yet the five years away from the sport also coincided with one of the darkest periods of his personal life.
During his absence, McGregor dealt with multiple legal issues, arrests, and was found liable in a civil sexual assault case. In the lead-up to UFC 329, he also spoke openly about embracing sobriety, rediscovering religion, and trying to pull himself out of what he described as a dark chapter of his life.
Cruz believes returning to fighting was McGregor’s attempt to escape that reality. However, he warned that no matter how powerful the sport may be, it cannot fix deeper personal battles. He said, “God is going to keep putting the same test in front of you until you choose different. Fighting wasn’t going to pull you out. Fighting can’t solve everything, and he’s going to learn that because he’s got to face himself without this thing that really cures a lot of us.”
The former bantamweight champion admitted that martial arts transformed his own life, but he cautioned against relying on competition as the only source of purpose. In his eyes, McGregor’s injury has now forced him back to the very place he had hoped to escape. He added, “I mean, martial arts saved my life. I truly believe he came back to save his own life, and now he’s back to where he started before he booked this fight.”
Instead of finding redemption inside the Octagon, McGregor once again faces a lengthy rehabilitation after confirming he will undergo knee surgery. Cruz, having endured countless injury recoveries himself, knows just how mentally draining that road can become.
He said, “As a guy who has injured himself more than I’d like to admit, the hardest next step for Conor is going to be recovering from this and the humility of: he also didn’t get to let that energy out and the demons out or whatever he was fighting. Now he’s got to go back to scratch and really sit with himself.”
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The UFC Hall of Famer also painted a sobering picture of the isolation that often accompanies serious injuries, warning that the psychological battle can become just as difficult as the physical recovery.
He cautioned, “And who knows what kind of injury it is, where he can only sit on the couch or must leave his leg up. And when you’re in that place staring yourself in the mirror, getting fatter, watching your legs get skinnier, it is a very dangerous place to be. He’s going to need a lot of prayers he’s been using.”
For McGregor, UFC 329 was supposed to mark the beginning of a new chapter, but the night ended just 69 seconds after it began, leaving him with another major knee injury and an uncertain road ahead. Although the Irishman has vowed to undergo surgery and return for the final fight of his current UFC contract, the journey back may prove to be the most difficult challenge of his career.
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.
