Conor McGregor refused crutches as he limped out of the T-Mobile Arena following a disappointing end to his comeback at UFC 329 on Saturday.
Following a five-year long layoff, the former two-division champion’s comeback came to a disastrous conclusion after he threw a jumping roundhouse kick to open his fight against Max Holloway and it appeared he blew his knee out during a bad landing. McGregor was helped out of the octagon by his team and he made a beeline to exit the T-Mobile Arena afterwards to seek medical attention.
At the UFC 329 post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White offered an update on McGregor’s condition while they await final word on the injuries suffered from the fight.
“Five years off in this sport is rough,” White said. “I was expecting at least a one-round war or who knew what Conor was capable of as far as cardio or whatever else after a five year layoff. There you go.
“We’re assuming blown ACL. I’m no doctor but that’s what I figured when I saw it and the doctors think the same thing, too.”
Of course, McGregor suffered a torn ACL in his first fight against Holloway back in 2013 and he actually made a rather quick recovery to return to the octagon. But McGregor is about to turn 38 years old and he’s now suffered a serious knee injury in his right left after he broke his left leg during a fight against Dustin Poirier back in 2021.
Obviously, White didn’t want to speculate any further about the injury or what could be next for McGregor but he expects to find out more information after the Irish superstar undergoes testing at the hospital.
“We’ll find out when he gets an MRI,” White said.
Until the full extent of his injuries are confirmed, McGregor’s future remains in doubt.
He was out of action for five years between the broken leg in the Poirier trilogy and his return to action on Saturday against Max Holloway at UFC 329.
McGregor could be looking at another year out of action with a torn ACL in his knee — assuming the injury wasn’t actually worse — and there’s no telling if he’ll ever compete again.
