Conor McGregor’s long awaited comeback lasted just 69 seconds after he appeared to blow out his knee during his first kick in the fight against Max Holloway.
As soon as the fight started, McGregor exploded out of the corner as he attempted a jumping roundhouse kick but replays showed he landed awkwardly with his right knee popping loose. McGregor tried to continue but after a second attempt to get to his feet and he was obviously compromised, referee Mike Beltran had no choice but to stop the fight to prevent further injury.
Following the disappointing conclusion to the UFC 329 main event, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan lamented McGregor’s decision to throw such a risky move to open the fight.
“He just tried a crazy move,” Rogan said during the UFC 329 broadcast. “He tried a crazy move. He tried a jumping roundhouse kick and when you’re in that position when you throw that jumping roundhouse kick, if you don’t land in a good way with the supporting leg, you put so much pressure on that knee.
“The way he landed, he threw the kick, he jumped up, he threw it and he landed with his knee in the worst position.”
McGregor sat in the corner for a few moments after the fight as medical personnel tended to him but he was understandably upset at how everything played out. The Irish superstar eventually left the octagon with help from his team without speaking to Rogan or making any kind of post-fight statement.
Following a devastating broken leg that ended his previous outing back in 2021, McGregor’s return to action came to a similar conclusion as he potentially tore numerous ligaments in his knee with the first kick thrown in the fight.
McGregor could potentially be looking at another lengthy layoff due to injury, and with his 38th birthday just days away, it’s impossible not to wonder if we’ve already seen the last of “The Notorious” in the UFC octagon.
