Conor McGregor gives immediate reaction to injury and defeat against Max Holloway at UFC 329

Conor McGregor has put forth his immediate response to his worrisome apparent leg injury and the injury-induced defeat he suffered in the headlining match of UFC 329.

The Irishman seemed to suggest that the stunning defeat has left him extremely disappointed. 

Conor McGregor made his MMA comeback at UFC 329 after around five years away from the octagon

Conor McGregor, who's widely beheld as one of the biggest box office draws in all of sports, was on a hiatus from professional MMA competition since he sustained a mid-fight broken leg in a lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. 

He recovered from that leg injury, which had afflicted his left leg, and was eventually booked to fight Michael Chandler in a welterweight matchup at UFC 303 in June 2024. However, a toe injury caused him to withdraw from the fight against Chandler, and his return was delayed further. 

Finally, McGregor was booked to rematch former UFC featherweight and BMF champion Max Holloway in a welterweight clash at UFC 329 in Vegas on July 11. He'd previously bested Holloway by unanimous decision, putting on an impressive showing despite a knee injury, in their featherweight clash in 2013. 

Conor McGregor's return to professional combat sports competition against Max Holloway at UFC 329 was spoiled by a mid-fight injury

A former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, Conor McGregor returned to much fanfare against Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 a few hours ago. Unfortunately, he appeared to injure his right leg with the very first strike, an apparent jumping/flying switch kick, as he landed awkwardly on the leg. 

It was followed by him attempting to fight but falling down multiple times, which many attributed to the injury. Referee Mike Beltran and even Holloway seemingly recognized that McGregor was injured.

Beltran called off the fight at the 1:09-minute mark of round one, thereby declaring Holloway the winner via first-round TKO. UFC CEO and president Dana White and many others conjectured about whether the first kick caused McGregor to hurt his right leg, possibly his right knee's ACL. 

A number of combat sports fans and experts displayed their concerns for McGregor, sending their thoughts and prayers to the Dubliner -- as his previous fight in 2021 saw him suffer an injured left leg and his latest octagon outing here in 2026 ended with his right leg getting injured. 

Well, Conor McGregor subsequently took to social media amid speculation that he entered UFC 329 with a preexisting injury/injuries. "The Notorious" one put those rumors to rest, indicating that he had no injuries going into the matchup and even practised different kicks for quite a long period of time. 

Expressing his disappointment, McGregor wrote the following in an X post: 

"My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell." 

As of this time, the combat sports community awaits further details on the exact nature of the injury that marred McGregor's much-awaited comeback.

It's well known that he now has just one more fight left on his current UFC contract, which has also led many to question what the future holds for the UFC icon. 

My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026