Conor McGregor's return to the UFC octagon was abruptly ended Friday night when he suffered a knee injury during his fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329. The bout, McGregor's first since breaking his leg in 2021, lasted only 69 seconds.
McGregor initiated the fight with a series of high kicks, but a missed attempt sent him to the canvas. Although he managed to get back to his feet, referee Mike Beltran determined McGregor was unsteady and waved off the contest. The injury appeared to occur during the initial exchange.
Max Holloway, seeking to avenge his 2013 loss to McGregor, now sees his record improve to 28 wins in 37 fights. He expressed disappointment over the fight's premature end, noting the significant hype surrounding the matchup. "You guys are lucky because there is going to be a Holloway v McGregor 3 now," Holloway stated. "It is what it is. I'll sit down with the UFC. There was so much hype for that. We have to run it back one more time. We need one more. I was looking forward to this. I was working hard to get to 170lb and fight this guy. For it to end like this, it sucks."
Holloway made his welterweight debut at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for this bout. The loss marks the seventh career defeat for McGregor and his fourth in his last five fights, with only one win recorded since 2016.