Las Vegas: Conor McGregor’s UFC return ends early due to knee injury
Conor McGregor‘s anticipated return to the UFC Octagon on Saturday night concluded abruptly due to a knee injury. The fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 ended at just 1:09 of the first round. This marked McGregor‘s first bout in over five years, with his last fight occurring in July 2021.
The incident unfolded when McGregor initiated the fight with a flying left roundhouse kick, landing awkwardly on his right knee. He attempted to continue, throwing another kick and subsequently slipping to the ground. Despite efforts to persevere, he clutched his right leg approximately two minutes into the fight, prompting referee Mike Beltran to stop the contest.
Following the event, McGregor expressed his distress on social media, stating, “My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.”
UFC President Dana White commented on the situation, noting that there were no indications of a pre-existing injury leading up to the weigh-ins on Friday. White speculated on the nature of the injury, saying, “Five years off in this sport is rough. We’re assuming a blown ACL. That’s what I assumed when I saw it, and that’s what the doctors think, too.”
During the fight, Holloway reportedly urged referee Beltran to stop the match due to McGregor‘s apparent injury, though McGregor insisted on continuing. Holloway observed a change in McGregor‘s demeanor during the fight and expressed hopes for his speedy recovery.
Questions arose regarding a possible pre-existing injury after video footage, shown during the broadcast, depicted McGregor stumbling after removing his sneakers before the pre-fight “pat down.” However, UFC announcer Jon Anik cautioned against speculation, stating, “So hard to know if there was any sort of preexisting injury. We’re not going to sort of lean into the speculation right now. But for us to contextualize it and at least bring you that video.”
Dana White reiterated at the post-fight press conference that he was unaware of any pre-existing injury. He cited McGregor‘s active behavior at the press conference and weigh-ins, where he appeared in good condition. White also mentioned that with millions of social media views of McGregor‘s interaction with Holloway at the weigh-in, any injury would likely have been noticed.
This fight marked McGregor‘s return after a significant hiatus. His last fight in July 2021 resulted in a loss to Dustin Poirier due to a leg injury. Since 2020, McGregor has secured only one victory.
The event also featured other matchups. Paddy Pimblett defeated Benoit Saint Denis with a first-round TKO. Pimblett blocked a roundhouse kick, shot in, and applied a D’Arce Choke to secure the win in 52 seconds. In a bantamweight contest, Mario Bautista secured a unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen, leveraging a first-round leg kick and consistent pressure. Brandon Royval won his flyweight bout against Lone’er Kavanagh by submission with a rear-naked choke at the 3:40 mark of the final round. The main card began with King Green overcoming Terrance McKinney with a TKO at the 4:59 mark of the first round after landing a right hand to the jaw.
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Source: foxnews.com
