Conor McGregor’s long-awaited comeback at UFC 329 ended in heartbreaking fashion after a devastating right knee injury just over a minute into the opening round handed Max Holloway a TKO victory. The Irishman exploded out of the gate with a jumping roundhouse kick, but slow-motion replays appeared to show him landing awkwardly before his right knee buckled beneath him.
The former two-division champion desperately tried to regain his footing but was unable to put any weight on the injured leg. With McGregor incapable of intelligently defending himself, referee Mike Beltran stepped in to stop the contest at the 1:09 mark of Round 1. A visibly devastated McGregor remained on his stool as cageside physicians assessed the injury before his coaches helped him out of the Octagon.
Despite the disappointing ending, the overwhelming majority of the MMA community expressed support for the sport’s biggest star. However, not everyone was sympathetic. Fighters including Islam Makhachev, Jake Paul, and Carlos Prates mocked the Irishman following the defeat, and the criticism soon extended beyond combat sports, with Machine Gun Kelly leading the charge.
MGK took to Instagram with a carousel post that mixed clips of McGregor’s injury loss with a photo from their infamous 2021 MTV Video Music Awards altercation. The American rapper captioned the post, “Knees weak of old age, the real Conor can’t stand up🤡.”
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After receiving backlash for mocking McGregor while he was injured, MGK refused to back down and instead escalated his comments. “I’m aware of a post from yesterday, and I shouldn’t apologize for absolutely anything, man. Fuck this guy. That’s what beefs are. We don’t like each other. Everyone keeps saying, ‘Oh, you commented on his age, he’s only a year older than you, and then you made fun of his knees.’ Hey, you know what? We don’t age the same. My knees are awesome.”
He further added, “Oh, you wouldn’t say it to his face.’ I already did. That’s why a picture exists of this little leprechaun punching up and missing me, and me not flinching. “Where the fuck is the rest of the footage where we tossed this little guy like a piece of dirty drawers across the red carpet? That’s why all the footage starts with him far away.”
The rapper then launched an even harsher attack, taking aim at McGregor’s appearance heading into UFC 329. He said, “Buddy, you look like a drunk, ugly extra from a Sherlock Holmes movie. What in the 1934 am I looking at? Fix your face, for God’s sake! Fuck this guy when he’s down, up, sideways, asleep… fuck him. What in the Liddell happened to the landing strip on top of your head?”
Machine Gun Kelly talking crazy about Conor McGregor 😳
“You look like a drunk, ugly extra in a Sherlock Holmes movie. F*ck this guy. What in the F*ck Liddell happened to the landing strip on your head? Worst 10 seconds I’ve ever seen.” pic.twitter.com/oiVy42K0x4
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 13, 2026
MGK finished with one final sarcastic jab at McGregor’s brief return to the Octagon: “The worst 10 seconds I’ve ever seen in my life. Thanks for making the walkout longer than the fight. You wasted everyone’s time.”
The animosity between the two dates back nearly five years. McGregor and MGK first clashed on the red carpet at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, igniting one of the most unusual celebrity feuds involving an MMA fighter. During the incident, McGregor reportedly threw a punch at the rapper before hurling a drink in his direction, prompting Megan Fox and security personnel to intervene before the confrontation escalated further.
In the lead-up to UFC 329, McGregor shed more light on what triggered the altercation. According to the former UFC champion, Kelly made remarks while he was recovering from the horrific leg break he suffered against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, claiming the rapper tried to kick him while he was down. Judging by MGK’s latest comments following UFC 329, it is clear that the bad blood between the two has only intensified with time.
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.
