Key facts
- McGregor’s UFC 329 comeback fight against Max Holloway ended in 69 seconds via TKO after his knee gave way on a kick attempt.
- It was his first UFC bout since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021, and marks three straight losses.
- McGregor announced on Instagram that surgery on the injured right knee is complete and the knee has been repaired.
- He served an 18-month anti-doping ban (backdated to September 2024) that concluded in March, for missing three drug tests in 2024.
- In November 2024, Nikita Hand won a civil case against McGregor for assault by rape.
- No return date or opponent has been set for his next fight.
Conor McGregor has had surgery on the right knee he injured during his UFC comeback fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 last month, and says he plans to fight again. The 38-year-old Irishman announced the operation on Instagram, writing that his knee had been repaired and that “comeback season starts now.”
What happened to the knee
McGregor’s return to the octagon lasted just 69 seconds. According to BBC Sport, his knee appeared to give way as he threw his first roundhouse kick attempt in the opening seconds against Holloway. Holloway was awarded the win by technical knockout. It was McGregor’s first UFC appearance since he broke his leg in a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, and he has now lost his last three fights in a row.
McGregor’s message
In his Instagram post, McGregor wrote that he did not run from the pain but walked into it, and that the real work begins now, with no shortcuts and no excuses. In an accompanying video, he cited other athletes who returned successfully from serious injury, naming two-time UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady as motivation. He described his mindset as unstoppable and unbreakable.
Recent turbulence outside the cage
The comeback fight came against a backdrop of legal and disciplinary trouble for McGregor. In November 2024, Nikita Hand won a civil case against him after accusing him of assault by rape, with the court awarding her damages. Separately, McGregor accepted an 18-month ban last year for violating UFC’s anti-doping policy after missing three drug tests within a 12-month span in 2024. That ban was backdated to his third missed test in September 2024 and ended in March of this year.
What is next
No date or opponent has been announced for a McGregor return. His statement frames the surgery and recovery as the start of a new comeback push, but neither source provides a timeline for when he might fight again.
Sources
Featured photo: Andrius Petrucenia on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)