What Conor McGregor Said to Max Holloway After Injuring Knee at UFC 329

What was billed as the Irish superstar's long awaited return instead ended with another serious injury, another prolonged road to recovery and more over fresh uncertainty surrounding one of the biggest names of UFC. With questions already swirling over his future, this injury becomes more than "when will he return" to "what comes next for The Notorious."

What's Next for Conor McGregor After UFC 329?

Before the match, it looked as though Conor McGregor's long-awaited return might finally mark the beginning of another championship run.

Instead, UFC 329 ended with another devastating injury, another lengthy medical recovery ahead, and perhaps the biggest question of McGregor's career: What comes next?

Max Holloway left Las Vegas with a first-round TKO victory after McGregor's right knee buckled while throwing a jumping switch kick early in the contest. The Irishman collapsed several times before referee Mike Beltran stepped in, bringing an abrupt end to one of the most anticipated fights in recent UFC history.

For McGregor, it was supposed to be the night that erased five years of inactivity. Instead, it may have reshaped the final chapter of one of mixed martial arts' greatest careers.

Conor McGregor's Comeback Ends in Heartbreak

The defeat itself tells only part of the story. McGregor entered UFC 329 having not fought since breaking his left leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

 Numerous comeback dates came and went before he was finally matched with Holloway in a rematch more than a decade after their first meeting, then came another cruel twist.

Attempting an explosive jumping switch kick less than a minute into the fight, McGregor landed awkwardly and immediately lost stability in his right leg. Although he briefly tried to continue, the damage had already been done.

Speaking after the event, UFC CEO Dana White revealed doctors believed McGregor had likely suffered a torn ACL, although he stressed that further scans would determine the full extent of the injury.

"It looks like he blew his ACL," White said during the UFC 329 post-fight press conference.

If confirmed, the injury would likely sideline McGregor for another year at minimum, a brutal reality for a fighter approaching his 38th birthday.

Conor McGregor Rejects Injury Speculation

Almost immediately after the fight, social media filled with theories that McGregor had entered UFC 329 already injured.

Videos showing him appearing cautious during fight week quickly went viral, prompting speculation that the knee issue had existed before he stepped into the Octagon. McGregor wasted little time addressing those claims.

Posting on X shortly after the event, he dismissed suggestions that he knowingly fought while injured, calling the speculation "nonsense" and insisting the injury occurred during the fight itself.

His longtime head coach, John Kavanagh, echoed that message. Speaking after UFC 329, Kavanagh explained that the kick responsible for the injury had been rehearsed throughout training camp without any issues.

"That kick was drilled daily for months," Kavanagh said, rejecting suggestions that McGregor had been compromised heading into the contest.

Dana White also dismissed suggestions that the UFC had knowingly allowed McGregor to compete while injured, stating there had been no indication during fight week that anything was wrong.

Respect Between Old Rivals

Although the contest lasted barely over a minute, one post-fight story quickly stood out. Holloway revealed that McGregor, despite realizing his own knee had failed, urged the referee to let the fight continue rather than stopping it immediately.

The former featherweight champion later praised McGregor's attitude, noting that he seemed noticeably calmer and more focused than in previous years. For a rivalry that began back in 2013, it was a reminder that both fighters have changed dramatically.

The trash talk that once defined McGregor's biggest fights gave way to mutual respect, with Holloway expressing hope that the Irishman could recover once again.

What are Conor McGregor's Realistic Options?

That question now becomes far more complicated than simply booking another fight. If the suspected ACL injury is confirmed, McGregor will face months of surgery and rehabilitation before he can even consider returning to training.

By then, the UFC landscape could look completely different. The lightweight division has continued moving without him, while the welterweight experiment against Holloway has done little to clarify where McGregor fits competitively.

A title run now appears highly unlikely. Instead, any eventual comeback would probably revolve around marquee fights rather than championship ambitions.

The UFC has never hidden McGregor's commercial value. Even after years away from competition, his return generated enormous interest during International Fight Week.

That drawing power is unlikely to disappear simply because of another injury.

Could This Finally Be the End?

It is a question nobody inside the UFC appears willing to answer. McGregor himself has repeatedly insisted throughout his career that setbacks only motivate him further.

His comeback from the devastating leg fracture suffered against Dustin Poirier was proof of that determination, even if the result against Holloway ultimately ended in disappointment. History also suggests writing McGregor off has rarely been wise.

He rebuilt his career after losing to Nate Diaz. He captured lightweight gold after many questioned whether he could handle larger opponents.

Even after lengthy absences, Conor McGregor remained the UFC's biggest attraction whenever he returned.

Yet this situation feels different. Successive major injuries, advancing age, and years of inactivity have dramatically narrowed the margin for error.

Former two-division champions rarely receive unlimited opportunities, regardless of their drawing power.

The UFC Still has a McGregor Problem

Ironically, UFC 329 also highlighted how important McGregor remains to the promotion. International Fight Week was built around his comeback, with the event marketed as one of the biggest nights of the year.

Instead, fans were left wondering what might have been. The UFC now faces a familiar challenge.

Do they continue planning around a superstar whose future has become increasingly uncertain, or do they finally move on completely and allow the next generation to define the promotion's biggest events?

Those questions cannot be answered until McGregor's medical outlook becomes clearer.

One Last Chapter?

For now, McGregor's future depends less on matchmaking than on rehabilitation. If the ACL diagnosis is confirmed, the next several months will be spent in recovery rather than preparation.

Whether that rehabilitation ultimately leads back to the Octagon remains impossible to predict.

One thing, however, remains unchanged: Even after another heartbreaking injury, the biggest story in mixed martial arts continues to revolve around Conor McGregor.

Not because of what he accomplished at UFC 329, but because the sport still can't stop wondering whether there is one final comeback left in "The Notorious."