The referee called off the welterweight bout at UFC 329 after McGregor fell to the mat three times in the first minute.
Published July 12, 2026
Conor McGregor’s much-hyped return to the Octagon lasted just over a minute on Saturday after he was forced to leave the UFC 329 bout against Max Holloway with an injury after suffering a bruised knee.
McGregor, a former two-division champion who hasn’t fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, started the opening round with a flying kick that landed awkwardly and quickly appeared to be in trouble.
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He tried to fight for a few seconds, but then turned to the referee and signaled that he could not continue.
Former featherweight champion Holloway said he would discuss the possibility of fighting the Irishman again once he recovers.
“That’s what it is. I’m going to talk to the UFC,” Holloway added. “We had such a blast there. We have to do it all over again. One more time for the players.”
Saturday’s bout was the pair’s second fight, with McGregor winning by unanimous decision in 2013.
Injuries and non-sporting issues derailed McGregor’s career.
The 37-year-old, who broke his leg against Poirier five years ago, was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler in June 2024, but the fight was canceled after McGregor broke his toe during practice.
Later that year, a jury in the Irish Civil Court found him responsible for raping Nikita Hand in 2018.
In October 2025, he accepted an 18-month suspension for “failure to be present” for missing three attempts to collect a biological sample by Combat Sports Anti-Doping in 2024. The suspension was retroactive and expired in March.
In Saturday’s co-main event at T-Mobile Arena, Britain’s Paddy Pimblett also choked Frenchman Benoît Saint-Denis in a lightweight bout, taking less than a minute to seal victory.
