Conor McGregor’s Injury May Have Created the Perfect Comeback Story, Says UFC Legend

Conor McGregor saw his UFC return end in a matter of moments two weeks ago. Just a minute and nine seconds into the UFC 329 main event,  McGregor injured his knee, giving Max Holloway the win by first-round TKO. 

Dominick Cruz Sees Shades of His Own Comeback Journey in Conor McGregor

The former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion spent years watching his career stall because of injuries, suffering multiple ACL tears that forced him into lengthy layoffs. At one point, the veteran even endured two major knee surgeries, returned for just a single one-minute fight, and then found himself back on the operating table again.

That's why McGregor's heartbreaking return at UFC 329 resonated with him.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, “The Dominator” explained that the brief taste of competition McGregor experienced before suffering another ACL tear could become the very thing that drives him through another difficult rehabilitation.

"I think that feeling he had that night will stay with him. He's going to hold on to it tightly, get through this rehab, and use it as motivation."

Drawing from his own experience, the 41-year-old recalled how difficult it was to restart after another setback, but said simply getting back into fight mode gave him something to chase.

"Between the two ACL surgeries to the third one, with one fight in between, I could see how he had the five years off and came back and was so amped up and then didn't get to do it. It's kind of similar... He still knows, it's like a reference point for him. 'Okay, I got to feel it, I went through the camp, I felt ready.' He can use that to get through this next rehab."

McGregor's comeback against Max Holloway was supposed to mark the beginning of a new chapter. Instead, it ended almost as soon as it began. 

Just 69 seconds into the opening round, the Irishman suffered tears to both his right ACL and meniscus, forcing the fight to be waved off and leaving his future shrouded in uncertainty.

Dominick Cruz Believes McGregor Still Comes Back

For Cruz, however, the injury isn't the end of the story. He continued, "With all the access to the things he has, he absolutely can come back... I think that he definitely will be back. He got that taste and that feeling of showing up, and everybody doubts him right now. Everybody loves a comeback story."

Coming from a seasoned veteran like Cruz, who has long endured multiple setbacks, those words carry extra weight. 

After missing nearly three years with knee injuries, he returned in 2014 and stopped Takeya Mizugaki in just one minute. Sixteen months and another ACL reconstruction later, he produced one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history by dethroning T.J. Dillashaw to reclaim the bantamweight championship in 2016.

McGregor Has Already Mapped out Return 

McGregor hasn't spent much time dwelling on what went wrong. Shortly after confirming he had torn both his ACL and meniscus, the former two-division champion revealed he is already targeting a return by next summer. 

He pointed to modern rehabilitation techniques and regenerative medicine as reasons for optimism, adding that he was already walking without crutches and beginning strength work on the injured leg.

Whether that timeline proves realistic remains to be seen. At 38 years old and with only one fight remaining on his current UFC contract, every setback naturally fuels more questions than answers.

Counting McGregor out has never been a safe bet. His career has been built on proving people wrong. From collecting welfare checks in Dublin to becoming the UFC's first simultaneous two-division champion and the biggest pay-per-view star the sport has ever produced. 

The latest injury has undoubtedly complicated his future, yet it hasn't erased that competitive streak.

Perhaps that's why Cruz's assessment feels less like blind optimism and more like hard-earned perspective. He knows rehabilitation isn't just about rebuilding a knee; it's more about rebuilding belief. And sometimes, the hardest comeback begins the moment the lights go out and the crowd goes home.