Conor McGregor hints at "last dance" fight next, reveals targeted timeline for MMA return after UFC 329 injury
Conor McGregor has hinted at competing in his final UFC fight next, revealing when it could transpire.
Conor McGregor has indicated that the next time he steps into the UFC's famed octagon could mark his final fight in the MMA organization. "The Notorious" has put forth the indication by way of a social media post on his official Instagram handle.
Alternatively, some fans have conjectured that McGregor might be hinting that his next UFC fight could be the last of his MMA career altogether. He also made a few other posts concerning his recovery and much-awaited comeback.
MMA icon Conor McGregor signals his potential "last dance" amid consecutive injury setbacks in the UFC
Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor has long enjoyed a standing as one of the premier stars in all of sports and entertainment.
Nevertheless, his busy business schedule outside the confines of his career as a combat sportsperson, in addition to multiple injury issues, has prevented him from competing as frequently as he's stated he'd like to.
The Irishman suffered a brutal mid-fight injury to his left leg in his trilogy fight against ex-interim UFC lightweight champ Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July of 2021. That lightweight matchup turned out to be McGregor's only pro combat sports contest in around five years.
He was booked to take on ex-Bellator lightweight kingpin Michael Chandler in a welterweight clash at UFC 303 in June 2024, but an injured toe relegated him to the sidelines again.
McGregor's long-awaited comeback came to fruition in the form of a rematch against ex-UFC featherweight titlist and former BMF titleholder Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11. He'd previously bested Holloway on points, outworking him to bag a unanimous decision win in their featherweight clash back in 2013.
Nevertheless, the rematch, a welterweight showdown that headlined UFC 329, saw McGregor hurt his right knee after a bad landing on the opening strike he threw. The end came soon thereafter, at 69 seconds, as "Mystic Mac" visibly struggled to move. Holloway, as such, was awarded the first-round TKO victory.
Conor McGregor has now made an Instagram post, comprising footage of his training variations of the left-leg roundhouse head kick, which he opened the fight with; albeit the in-fight kick was said to be more of a flying/jumping switch kick maneuver.
The legendary fighter, who celebrated his 38th birthday soon after his injury-induced setback at UFC 329, alluded to how he was about to unleash a beatdown for the ages on Holloway, but that wasn't to be.
Incidentally, his comeback at UFC 329 was during the UFC's 2026 International Fight Week (IFW). Well, he appeared to suggest that his next fight could come during the 2027 IFW.
The UFC great tagged the UFC and his beverage brands, Mac Energy and Forged Irish Stout, in the statement in his post that read, "What was to be a generational beating is now to be reset. IFW 2027 The Last Dance. @macenergy @forgedirishstout @ufc"
It's noteworthy that speculation has abounded about McGregor potentially venturing into free agency after he completes the last fight on his current UFC deal. But some have argued that he's unlikely to compete in another MMA organization like the PFL or his longtime critic Jake Paul's MVP MMA.
He has notably competed in a lone professional boxing match in the past; his iconic matchup against legendary pugilist Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in 2017 comes to mind. Also, McGregor has been linked to a possible clash against boxing great Manny Pacquiao inside the squared circle over the years.
Additionally, McGregor happens to be a part-owner of the U.S.-headquartered bare-knuckle boxing organization, the BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship), and he's often shown his willingness to try his hand at ungloved boxing inside the BKFC's famed Squared Circle.
Check out Conor McGregor's Instagram post concerning his possible final UFC matchup below:
Conor McGregor had affirmed that he'd like the Max Holloway trilogy fight next; feels the rematch was a No Contest
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway, given the anticlimactic nature in which their rematch ended, asserted that their trilogy fight should surely be on the cards.
McGregor called for the rematch's official verdict to be changed from a TKO win for Holloway to an NC (No Contest). He and many others insinuated that there was barely any action before the injury turned the remainder of the brief fight into a struggle to move for the Dubliner, while Holloway and Referee Mike Beltran watched on.
UFC CEO and president Dana White, at the Zuffa Boxing 09 post-event press conference on July 26, revealed that McGregor is likely to be out for a year with his knee injury.
Furthermore, McGregor has consistently maintained that he has just one fight left on his UFC contract. Before UFC 329, he'd noted that the MMA organization aimed to book his next fight in April of 2027.
But now that he's out with a knee injury, his final UFC fight may be pushed back to the UFC's 2027 International Fight Week, which is expected to run from July 8 to July 14.
Intriguingly, McGregor made yet another Instagram post, which consisted of footage from his fighter entrance at UFC 329. His statement attached to the post saw him reaffirm that the octagon's canvas was slippery, and their fight's result ought to be overturned to an NC.
The combat sports megastar promised to return next year, writing:
"The white orange and green machine. Mosying on back to the office, up the office! Sorry I'm late but the dry ice has the cage floor wet it's a no contest now chop chop for the champ champ I'll see ya's next year 100%."
Check out McGregor's Instagram post regarding the fight's result and more below:
Furthermore, the former two-division UFC champion, in a third Instagram post a while later, expressed his disappointment in how his latest fight ended. He even pondered about possibly releasing training footage to show how much he'd worked to prepare for the matchup.
Regardless, underscoring his optimism, McGregor wrote, "The amount of work I put in, without getting even a semblance of a fight back, is really disheartening. But is it? That work is still there. Now, I am being called upon for more work. More discipline. More growth. What is my problem then? None. I don't have one."
McGregor, who's known to be a devout Christian and often speaks about his faith, ended his write-up with a 'folded hands' emoji, stating, "Thank you, God."
He added a caption, noting, "I may begin to distribute training footage."
Check out a screenshot of the legendary Irish combatant's post below:
