This could be the end for Conor McGregor: Analyzing the grim future for 'The Notorious'
It's been weeks since Conor McGregor's disastrous return at UFC 329, and the Irishman would be better served retiring, as things may only get worse moving forward.
UFC 329 was billed as Conor McGregor's great return to MMA. In the Irishman's own words, 2026 would feature the greatest comeback in combat sports history. Unfortunately for McGregor, things didn't quite pan out as planned. He suffered yet another injury, and is unlikely to ever be the same fighter again. There is little hope he will be competitive with the upper echelon at either lightweight or welterweight, and with one fight left on his UFC contract, it might be time to hang up his gloves.
The Conor McGregor takeover is over
Today is a far cry from the era of Conor McGregor's dominance at the top of the sport. He was the UFC's first simultaneous two-division champion and still holds the record for the fastest knockcout in UFC championship history. While he remains MMA's biggest star, and by a significant margin, his success inside the cage is now nonexistent. Furthermore, he should not further tarnish his legacy by attempting yet another return. Combat sports, whether MMA or boxing, have left him behind, and he is no longer in any condition to fight, despite his impenetrable self-belief.
First, McGregor is on a three-fight losing streak and 1-4 in his last five fights since 2018. He lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov via fourth-round submission at UFC 229. Though he managed to bounce back with a first-round TKO of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, he did so against the ghost of 'Cowboy.' Cerrone was already on a losing streak and on a decline that would see him end his MMA career winless in his last seven fights, with six losses and one no-contest. Also, McGregor's return to the win column was short-lived, and he suffered three consecutive losses thereafter. First, Dustin Poirier TKO'd him in round two at UFC 257, then again in round one at UFC 264, before Max Holloway TKO'd him in round one at UFC 329 years later. Those last two bouts, in particular, have something in common.
This is literally the worst possible outcome.
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 12, 2026
Anything but this would have been better. #UFC329 pic.twitter.com/hAcMZOUlij
McGregor didn't lose either bout under normal circumstances. He snapped his lower shin in the Poirier rubber match, suffering an injury from which no one has ever returned the same. Then, after a five-year hiatus and at almost 40 years old, McGregor returned only to tear his meniscus and ACL in his other leg within a minute of his rematch with Holloway. Not only is he 38 years old, but he is now dealing with an injury that will sideline him until he's 39, on top of already having a surgically repaired shin and half a decade of cage-rust he never got to shake off. The odds of him beating any ranked fighter at lightweight or welterweight are so low it might as well be impossible. The sport has passed him by, and every potential opponent will likely target his legs. The legs of an older, slower McGregor, whose physical condition has been worsened by years of heavy drinking and partying.
Unless the UFC is willing to re-sign a similarly over-the-hill Jorge Masvidal for a one-off fight, 'The Notorious' is better served retiring. Another fight can only lead to more damage, and even if he's eager to escape his UFC contract, it's not as though he'd fare better in boxing or in a different MMA promotion.
