Conor McGregor makes detailed statement on his UFC 329 injuries, reveals potential return timeline
Conor McGregor has announced what injuries he suffered in his rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 329. He also highlighted his comeback timeline.
Conor McGregor has opened up about the injuries that he was afflicted by in his most recent mixed martial arts matchup, which was a rematch against Max Holloway.
The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion emphasized a rather eerie similarity between the injuries he suffered in his first encounter against Holloway and in their rematch.
"The Notorious" also put forth a potential timeline for his return to professional MMA competition.
Conor McGregor's return after a five-year MMA break ended in another injury-induced hiatus
Conor McGregor was incapacitated by a horrific injury to his left leg in his lightweight showdown against Dustin Poirier, in what was their trilogy fight, at UFC 264 back in July of 2021.
His subsequent injury rehabilitation and busy schedule outside of his sporting endeavors kept him on the sidelines for several years. Also, a scheduled welterweight clash against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024 failed to materialize after a toe injury forced him out of it.
However, his long-awaited return to MMA competition finally came to fruition at UFC 329 earlier this month, marking the end of his five-year hiatus from the sport. McGregor fought Max Holloway in a welterweight match that headlined the card, having previously beaten Holloway by way of unanimous decision in a featherweight clash back in 2013.
Intriguingly, though McGregor battled through a hurt knee in the first fight, he wasn't able to fight after sustaining an injured knee in the rematch. Their UFC 329 encounter ended in 69 seconds, as he appeared to be struggling to move and Holloway emerged as the winner via TKO.
McGregor and his Hawaiian MMA counterpart have both displayed interest in a trilogy fight, albeit UFC CEO and president Dana White has asserted that it'll be quite long before the Irishman can fight again.
Conor McGregor sheds light on the eerie similarity of his injuries from both Max Holloway fights; talks possible comeback timeline
Conor McGregor has now taken to X and put forth a post, comprising a photograph of himself smiling while seated inside a vehicle. It also consisted of a detailed statement about the injuries he's recovering from.
McGregor made an allusion to the eerily similar injuries he faced in his first clash against Holloway and those he sustained in their rematch. Revealing that he injured his left leg's ACL and meniscus in the first fight and the right leg's ACL and meniscus in the second, he wrote:
"Update: It was acl and meniscus. It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg. Quite shocking. I returned to competition within 9 months to fight Diego Brandao back then."
McGregor continued and outlined his comeback timeline, writing, "With today's regenerative medicine advancements and improved training methods it is well within my realm to return by next summer."
He added, "I am walking without a crutch. I done leg extension machine work the other day to no issue. So I can walk without aid, and activate my quad under resistance. All very positive."
The Irishman further noted, "I am maximum discipline and have maintained it fully since the bout."
Moreover, he highlighted an important point that he'd alluded to in a previous series of X posts -- suggesting that the loss was a blessing in disguise. McGregor implied that had he won, he'd likely have embraced the party lifestyle again and gotten ensnared in the vicious cycle of substance abuse and addiction, which he's often spoken about.
The 38-year-old wrote, "I wonder was I saved from something worse here. I believe so. I would have attended the after party as "the man" and who knows then. I believe I was saved."
The devout Christian expressed his gratitude and underscored the significance of one's health. Capping off his post with a 'red heart' emoji and a 'folded hands' emoji, McGregor stated, "Thank you God! On we go, no sad stories. Thank you for the support and well wishes everyone, your health is your wealth."
Update: It was acl and meniscus. It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg. Quite shocking. I returned to competition within 9 months to fight Diego Brandao back then. With today’s regenerative medicine advancements and improved training… pic.twitter.com/2Me14ayIgh
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 19, 2026
