Las Vegas sees McGregor’s UFC return end in first-round injury

By Thomas Beckwith · Senior Football Correspondent · July 12, 2026

By Thomas Beckwith — 12 July 2026 — 4 min read

Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC octagon concluded in the first round after he sustained a right knee injury during his bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The fight, which marked McGregor’s comeback after a significant absence, ended just over a minute into the first round on Saturday night.

McGregor appeared to injure his right knee early in the fight, possibly while attempting a jump kick. He subsequently slipped to the canvas, and despite briefly standing after some ground and pound from Holloway, he fell again. The referee ultimately stopped the fight when McGregor stumbled and indicated he could not continue.

Reactions to the Injury

The abrupt end to the highly anticipated bout drew reactions from various figures within the UFC community. Paddy Pimblett, who secured a first-round submission victory over Benoît Saint Denis in UFC 329’s co-main event, expressed his ambition to become the new face of the organisation following McGregor’s injury. Pimblett stated, “Oh my God. McGregor’s done already. Well, he’s finished. The new boy is in town. The main man’s here. Know what I mean? I can become the face of the organization now.”

Holloway, McGregor’s opponent, mentioned that he had urged the referee to call off the fight once it became clear McGregor was unable to continue due to his apparent leg injury. Holloway conveyed his concern, saying, “I’m just praying for the guy, all jokes aside, as a human being.” He also expressed interest in a potential rematch, stating, “It is what it is, I’m going to sit down with the UFC. [There was] so much hype for that right there. We’ve got to run it back one more time. One more time for the boys.”

Former two-division UFC champion and current commentator Daniel Cormier offered his perspective on McGregor’s early kick attempt. Cormier suggested that the adrenaline rush of returning to the octagon after five years might have influenced McGregor’s actions. “You see these guys that have been gone for a long time do things that doesn’t make sense, and I think that’s that with Conor,” Cormier commented. UFC fighter Brian Ortega also shared his thoughts on the fight via social media.

McGregor’s Recent Career and Future

This injury marks another setback for McGregor, whose last UFC fight before this event was in July 2021. In that bout, he suffered a leg injury during a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. The recent injury against Holloway occurred five years after his previous fight ended in a similar manner, in the same arena. Prior to UFC 329, McGregor was slated to fight Michael Chandler in June 2024, but that match was cancelled due to a broken toe he sustained in training.

The specifics of McGregor’s current injury are not yet confirmed, though speculation from commentators like Joe Rogan suggested it could be an ACL issue. Such injuries can require a recovery period of six to 12 months. This could mean McGregor might not be able to train properly until next July and potentially not fight again until next autumn.

McGregor had previously indicated a potential return date of April 2027 for a fight, as he mentioned to journalist Ariel Helwani. He stated, “Right now I am contracted, and I have both dates. I have both dates for my fights. I have 11 July. When would you think they would put me back in? When would you think they would put me back in? April 2027. It’s almost a year later, that’s ridiculous to me. I think, no? This is the way the contract was done, I don’t know. You’d have to ask Audie [Attar, manager] on all of that. I’m like: ‘Huh? Just give me the f***ing contract.’ It gets to that stage.”

Beyond his fighting career, McGregor has faced other challenges. A civil jury found him liable for rape, an allegation he denies, and his appeal against the verdict was unsuccessful. He also accepted an 18-month ban for “whereabouts failures” after missing three attempts by Combat Sports Anti-Doping to collect biological samples in 2024; this ban was backdated and expired in March.

The bout against Holloway was the second encounter between the two fighters, with McGregor having won their first meeting by unanimous decision in 2013. The recent fight at UFC 329 ended at one minute and nine seconds into the first round.

Source: bleacherreport.com

Thomas Beckwith

Senior Football Correspondent

As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”