“I Feel for Him”: Khabib Coach Javier Mendez Sends Emotional Message to Conor McGregor
Javier Mendez weighed in on the result of the UFC 329 main event.
Conor McGregor shook the MMA world on Saturday night, but for all the wrong reasons. The "Mystic Mac's" long-awaited return at UFC 329 came to a heartbreaking end inside a packed T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when the Irish superstar suffered a serious knee injury just moments into his fight against Max Holloway. Without landing a meaningful strike, McGregor limped out of the Octagon, leaving fans stunned and his comeback in tatters.
The mood quickly shifted from anticipation to disappointment. Fans voiced their frustration, critics questioned McGregor's approach, and longtime detractors wasted little time piling on.
One voice, however, stood apart. Javier Mendez, the longtime coach of McGregor's fiercest rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov, responded not with criticism, but with empathy, offering a measured assessment rooted in respect for the former two-division champion.
Javier Mendez Puts Rivalry Aside to Sympathize with Conor McGregor
For years, Mendez and McGregor stood on opposite sides of one of MMA's fiercest rivalries. As the longtime head coach of “The Eagle,” the veteran witnessed every chapter of the bitter feud that defined an era of the UFC.
That history made his reaction to McGregor's latest setback all the more striking. Instead of revisiting old grievances after the 37-year-old’s comeback ended in heartbreaking fashion, Mendez chose compassion over rivalry.
Speaking to Red Corner MMA, the American Kickboxing Academy coach admitted that, despite everything McGregor and Team Khabib have been through over the years, it was impossible not to feel sympathy for the Irish superstar.
He noted, "To have a warrior like him train as hard as he did after a five-year layoff and comeback, and have something like that to happen, your heart has to go out to the guy."
The 55-year-old also acknowledged that while he has often disagreed with McGregor outside the cage, his respect for the former champion as a competitor has never disappeared.
"Look, I may not like him as a person at times, but I have to respect what a great warrior he is. To see him go out that way is not the way I would want anyone to go out. You'd want to go out doing what they came out to do, perform. He beat himself on that one and I feel for him. That's something I wouldn't want for anybody."
An Abrupt End to McGregor's Return Fight
He wasn't alone. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier also urged fans to look beyond the result before rushing to criticize McGregor's failed gamble.McGregor's long-awaited return lasted just 69 seconds.
Competing for the first time in five years, the former two-division UFC champion suffered a devastating right leg injury moments into his fight against Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. After throwing an aggressive jumping kick, McGregor landed awkwardly, stumbled, and was unable to continue, forcing the referee to wave off the contest.
While many critics questioned McGregor's decision to open the fight so explosively after such a lengthy layoff, Mendez focused on the human side of the moment.
Daniel Cormier Defends McGregor’s Aggressive Approach
Daniel Cormier viewed the opening sequence differently than those who called it reckless.
Reflecting on the opening sequence on his channel, DC argued that hindsight often shapes public opinion. Had McGregor's flying attack connected, fans would likely have celebrated it as another iconic moment rather than criticizing the decision.
"I think we need to careful when we judge because there have been times where people have done crazy things to start fights and they've worked and we praise the athlete as if they're some genius."
He then pointed to famous examples from MMA history, including Fabricio Werdum's flying attack against Travis Browne and Jorge Masvidal's record-setting flying knee knockout of Ben Askren-
"Tonight was one of those times when it didn't work. I remember Fabricio Werdum just running across the octagon and superkicking Travis Browne like he was on the game Double Dragon. Clearly, Jorge Masvidal did it Ben Askren and we all praised them for that."
For Cormier, McGregor's failed opening exchange shouldn't be judged solely because it ended in disaster, stating, "I think we need to be careful when we have a big opinion on something that happens because everybody's mad, it went sideways, but had Conor landed that everybody would praise him for what he did."
McGregor Now Faces Another Uncertain Road to Recovery
The immediate concern for McGregor is no longer what could have happened against Holloway, but how serious the injury ultimately proves to be. According to reports, the 37-year-old is expected to undergo an MRI this week to determine the full extent of the damage.
UFC CEO Dana White said the initial belief among doctors was that McGregor may have suffered a torn ACL, while sports medicine physician Dr. Brian Sutterer suggested video from backstage indicated the former champion could have entered the fight with an existing meniscus issue that worsened during the opening exchange.
The scan is expected to provide definitive answers, but either diagnosis could sideline McGregor for several months. An ACL tear typically requires six to nine months of rehabilitation, while recovery from a meniscus injury can range anywhere from a few weeks to nine months, depending on its severity.
