Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the UFC came to a dramatic and disappointing end after the Irishman suffered a knee injury just 69 seconds into his bout against Max Holloway.
Competing for the first time since 2021, McGregor appeared to sustain the injury within the opening moments of the contest when his knee buckled as he landed awkwardly after missing with a kick. Unable to continue, the former two-weight champion was handed his third consecutive defeat and has now recorded only one victory since 2016.
The fight marked a rematch 13 years after McGregor defeated Holloway by unanimous decision. Their first meeting took place at featherweight, but Sunday’s contest was fought in the welterweight division.
Injury overshadows comeback
The full extent of McGregor’s injury was not immediately known, although UFC broadcaster Megan Olivi revealed that the Irishman declined the use of crutches after the fight. He was later seen limping out of the arena before leaving by car.
Speculation quickly emerged that McGregor may have entered the contest carrying an existing injury, but the 37-year-old firmly rejected those claims in a post on social media.
McGregor insisted he had completed his training camp without any physical problems, saying he had been throwing kicks, planting and jumping throughout his preparations and even during his warm-up backstage. He described the injury as something that happened unexpectedly.
Uncertain future
With only one fight remaining on his current UFC contract, the latest setback has intensified questions over McGregor’s future in mixed martial arts.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping suggested the injury could prove career-ending if it requires major reconstructive surgery.
Speaking as part of Paramount+’s broadcast team, Bisping said that an anterior cruciate ligament injury requiring a lengthy rehabilitation of a year or more could effectively bring McGregor’s career to an end.
McGregor’s career under continued scrutiny
Despite remaining one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts history and one of the figures most responsible for the sport’s global growth, McGregor’s career has increasingly been overshadowed by controversies away from the octagon.
He had not competed since breaking his leg in his defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021 but continued to dominate headlines during his absence.
In November 2024, Nikita Hand succeeded in a civil action against McGregor after accusing him of raping her. A jury at the High Court in Dublin found that McGregor had sexually assaulted Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018 and ordered him to pay £206,000 in damages, along with additional costs.
McGregor’s appeal against that verdict was dismissed in July 2025. The following month, Hand announced plans to pursue further legal action against McGregor and two other individuals, alleging malicious abuse of court processes.
Throughout the proceedings, McGregor has continued to deny the allegations and has maintained his innocence, accusing Hand and her legal team of dishonesty. Hand, meanwhile, has said the lengthy legal process repeatedly retraumatised her.
Asked earlier this week whether he understood why some people were uncomfortable seeing him return to the UFC spotlight following the civil case, McGregor reiterated that he was innocent and said he would continue to defend his name.
Rivals react
Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett, who stopped Benoît Saint-Denis in just 52 seconds in the co-main event, learned of McGregor’s defeat while being interviewed backstage.
Pimblett suggested the result marked a changing of the guard, claiming he could now become the new face of the UFC after securing his own emphatic victory on the organisation’s biggest card of the year.
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev also reacted on social media, posting a brief message congratulating Holloway and suggesting that McGregor had ultimately been beaten by his own misfortune rather than his opponent.
