TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor's long-awaited return to the Octagon ended in dramatic fashion after he suffered a knee injury just 69 seconds into his welterweight bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Al Jazeera reported that McGregor attempted a flying kick seconds after the opening bell but landed awkwardly, immediately showing signs of discomfort. The 37-year-old Irish fighter briefly tried to continue, throwing several strikes before signaling to the referee that he could not go on. The contest was stopped after McGregor fell to the canvas multiple times in the opening minute, handing Holloway a victory by injury stoppage.
The fight marked McGregor's first appearance since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. Saturday's contest was also a rematch of their 2013 featherweight meeting, which McGregor won by unanimous decision.
Following the fight, Holloway expressed disappointment that the bout ended prematurely and said he hopes the UFC will arrange another meeting once McGregor recovers.
"There was so much hype for this fight. We've got to run it back one more time," Holloway said after the victory.
McGregor's career has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries and controversies in recent years. A planned bout against Michael Chandler in 2024 was canceled after he broke a toe during training. He also accepted an 18-month suspension in 2025 for multiple anti-doping whereabouts violations, with the sanction expiring earlier this year.
The Guardian revealed that UFC President Dana White said doctors suspect McGregor suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), although a final diagnosis has yet to be confirmed.
"I was expecting at least a one-round war," White said. "We're assuming a blown ACL. I'm no doctor, but that's what I figured when I saw it, and doctors think the same thing too."
McGregor later addressed fans on social media, saying the injury occurred unexpectedly despite completing his training camp without any knee problems.
"I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight," McGregor wrote. "This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."
Before his latest setback, McGregor had been one of the UFC's biggest stars. In 2016, he became the first fighter in the promotion's history to hold championships in two weight classes simultaneously. His 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. also became one of the most lucrative events in combat sports.
Away from the cage, McGregor has remained in the spotlight for legal issues and political activities in Ireland during his prolonged absence from competition.
The co-main event at UFC 329 also ended quickly, with Britain's Paddy Pimblett submitting France's Benoit Saint-Denis in less than a minute of their lightweight bout.
Read: Trump Hosts White House UFC Cage Fights to Mark 80th Birthday
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
