Las Vegas: McGregor suffers knee injury, loses to Holloway at UFC 329

By Noah Lavoie — 12 July 2026 — 3 min read

Conor McGregor‘s return to the octagon at UFC 329 concluded early due to a knee injury during his bout against Max Holloway. The fight, held in Las Vegas, ended just 1:09 into the first round on Saturday night.

McGregor, who was competing for the first time in over five years, initiated the match with a flying left roundhouse kick. He landed awkwardly on his right knee, an incident that ultimately led to the early stoppage. Despite attempting two more kicks and strikes against Holloway, it became evident that McGregor could not continue the scheduled five-round welterweight contest.

UFC president Dana White commented on the injury, stating that a blown ACL was the initial assumption by both himself and the doctors. This marked a challenging return for McGregor, who last fought exactly five years and a day before Saturday night’s event. The fighter made his entrance to the sounds of “Hypnotize” by Notorious Biggie Smalls, greeted by a roaring, sold-out crowd.

Holloway secured a first-round TKO victory over McGregor in the main event. This win marked Holloway’s first fight at 170 pounds. While he is not expected to make a permanent move to this weight class, the opportunity to face McGregor made the transition worthwhile.

The two fighters have a history, with McGregor having previously defeated Holloway over a decade ago when both were emerging talents. McGregor also sustained a knee injury in that earlier encounter. Following the recent bout, Holloway and McGregor shared a moment of mutual respect.

With McGregor facing a potentially long recovery period, Holloway may consider other opponents. A return to lightweight to challenge Justin Gaethje is a possibility. His success at welterweight could also lead him to await the outcome of the Islam Makhachev versus Ian Machado Garry fight, scheduled for August 15, to determine his next opponent.

Before the fight, Holloway had expressed interest in a trilogy bout with McGregor if the conditions were favourable. He stated during a UFC 329 media day that he intended to make McGregor consider a rematch later in the year. The current outcome evens the score between the two featherweights at one win apiece, suggesting a potential trilogy fight could be a lucrative option for both athletes.

While prize money for the fight was not disclosed, the event reportedly generated a $25 million gate, indicating continued strong financial performance for McGregor’s fights.

In other bouts at UFC 329, Liverpool‘s Paddy Pimblett secured a quick first-round TKO victory over Benoit Saint Denis. Pimblett, who entered the fight as a +120 underdog, blocked a roundkick, moved in, and applied a front headlock to finish the fight in 52 seconds. This win came hours after his home country of England won its quarterfinal match against Norway in the World Cup, to the delight of the audience.

In a bantamweight contest, Mario Bautista defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision. Bautista capitalized on a first-round leg kick and maintained pressure throughout each round, with a flurry of punches in the third round ultimately securing the decision.

The flyweight bout saw Brandon Royval win by submission against Lone’er Kavanagh. Royval applied a rear-naked choke at the 3:40 mark of the final round to secure his victory.

The main card commenced with an unexpected turn of events as King Green, despite being bloodied and taking a beating for most of the first round, landed a right hand to the jaw of Terrance McKinney with approximately 20 seconds remaining. Green then finished McKinney for a TKO victory at the 4:59 mark of the first round.

Holloway closed as a -300 favourite at Bet MGM Sportsbook, meaning a wager of $300 would yield a $100 win, while McGregor was a +240 underdog, with a $100 wager on him resulting in a $240 win.

Source: sportsnet.ca