Conor McGregor's highly anticipated return to the octagon at UFC 329 ended in a devastating loss and a record-setting victory for sportsbooks. The fight, which lasted just over a minute, saw McGregor suffer a knee injury while attempting a flying roundhouse kick, leading to a TKO loss against Max Holloway.
This outcome proved to be the worst-case scenario for bettors, who had overwhelmingly backed McGregor. At BetMGM, the event was the most bet MMA event in the sportsbook's history and the second-most bet combat event overall. McGregor was the most popular fighter for both tickets and money wagered, despite being a +240 underdog. Popular betting props also heavily favored McGregor, including wins by KO/TKO, submission, and decision.
DraftKings reported similar trends, with 92 percent of the money and 68 percent of the tickets placed on McGregor to win. McGregor by KO/TKO accounted for a significant portion of these bets.
Following the fight, McGregor took to social media, refuting claims of entering the bout with prior injuries. He stated that the injury "came out of nowhere" and described his condition as "hell."
UFC analyst Joe Rogan commented on the fight's opening moments, suggesting that the flying kick attempt put excessive pressure on McGregor's knee, especially given the way he landed. The swift conclusion of the fight meant that a vast number of bets placed on McGregor went unfulfilled, resulting in a significant and unexpected win for sports betting operators.