NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Nearly five years after his last trip to the Octagon, Conor McGregor returned to the UFC on Saturday night against fellow MMA star Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
McGregor opened aggressively and attempted a running kick before throwing a head kick shortly after. He appeared to slip on both attempts. Holloway quickly capitalized after the second, taking top position and landing a right hand before McGregor was able to work his way back to his feet.
Moments later, McGregor hit the canvas again after trying to throw a kick with his right leg, which appeared to buckle under him.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Conor McGregor of Ireland takes part in the walkout before facing Max Holloway of the United States in their welterweight bout during UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The official inside the Octagon waved the fight off moments later, giving Holloway a TKO victory.
During the broadcast, UFC CEO Dana White pointed to a first-round replay that appeared to show the moment McGregor suffered the injury. The apparent injury was not the same leg that McGregor broke during his 2021 fight against Dustin Poirier, which led to an extended absence from the Octagon.
The loss extended McGregor’s long winless drought, with his last UFC win coming by first-round TKO against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in January 2020.
JAKE PAUL’S BUSINESS PARTNER GIVES TIMELINE ON BACK TO RING AFTER CAREER-THREATENING INJURY
McGregor earned a unanimous decision over Holloway in a 2013 featherweight fight in which neither was an MMA megastar. In an instant, McGregor’s star rose.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway face each other during the ceremonial UFC 329 weigh-ins at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 10, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
On Wednesday, he admitted he was caught up in his own stardom after winning UFC belts in two weight classes and becoming one of the biggest names in martial arts.
“I launched an Irish whiskey,” McGregor said. “I didn’t drink much, if at all, at that point in my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. Next thing you know, thousands and thousands of bottles (are) in my garage.
RONDA ROUSEY REVEALS WHAT INSPIRED HER TO END NINE-YEAR MMA HIATUS FOR FINAL FIGHT
“‘Sell this, Conor.’ OK, I would leave my property with two bottles under my arm and that was it. I was caught. And I wasn’t used to it. And that’s it. God gave me these lessons. That’s it. I got caught and caught and it is what it is.”
Conor McGregor jumps in the air for a kick while fighting Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (John Locher/AP)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
Easier said than done, perhaps, as the controversial former champion has been embroiled in numerous controversies and legal issues over the past several years.
