Conor McGregor to undergo surgery after injury against Max Holloway: UFC return once again in doubt
Conor McGregor confirmed on July 13, 2026, that he will have to undergo surgery following a right knee injury suffered in his comeback fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion announced that after the surgical procedure, he intends to undergo preparatory rehabilitation, return to martial arts training and attempt to complete the final fight of his current contract with the organization. In doing so, he dismissed the possibility that Saturday's defeat would automatically mark the end of his professional career, although the precise diagnosis and expected recovery time are currently unknown. In an Instagram post, McGregor outlined a clear sequence of steps - surgery, rehabilitation and another comeback attempt - but did not reveal when the procedure was expected to take place. His announcement therefore confirms his intention, but still does not provide a reliable timeframe for another appearance in the Octagon.
UFC 329 took place on July 11 at a sold-out T-Mobile Arena, and the main event ended after only one minute and nine seconds of the first round. According to the UFC's official result, Holloway won by technical knockout, although the stoppage was not the result of a conventional series of strikes but McGregor's inability to continue fighting because of the injury. At the very beginning, the Irishman attempted a flying left roundhouse kick, after which he landed awkwardly on his right leg and his knee lost stability. He continued trying to strike and move, but it quickly became clear that he could not place his weight normally on the injured leg. Referee Mike Beltran then stopped the contest, bringing one of the most eagerly anticipated comebacks in recent UFC history to an end almost immediately after the opening bell.
The exact diagnosis has not yet been publicly confirmed
Although McGregor confirmed the need for surgery, as of July 13 it had not been publicly disclosed which structure in the knee had been damaged, nor had any official medical documentation been presented. UFC CEO Dana White said after the event that an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injury was suspected and that doctors had offered a similar initial assessment. Such a statement does not represent a definitive diagnosis, however, so the extent of the damage, the type of surgery and the length of rehabilitation will depend on the results of examinations and imaging. MMA Fighting also reported that McGregor did not specify the nature of the injury in his post, although he clearly announced that he would undergo surgery. For that reason, any prediction regarding a return date remains speculative, especially when it concerns an athlete who will turn 38 on July 14 and who has already experienced a lengthy layoff caused by serious injuries.
After the fight, McGregor firmly rejected speculation that he had entered the Octagon with a previously damaged knee. In his first reaction on social media, he claimed that he had not experienced such a problem during the training camp and that he had been able to perform strikes, jumps and weight-bearing movements without difficulty in training and immediately before walking out to the fighting area. Dana White said there had also been no visible signs of injury at the ceremonial weigh-in, while McGregor's team likewise claimed that the problem had appeared suddenly. Those claims cannot replace a medical report, but they represent the only information publicly presented regarding his condition before the bout. According to the available information, the injury occurred during his first attacking movement and has not been officially connected to an earlier health issue.
Holloway called for the stoppage as soon as he noticed the problem
Max Holloway said after the fight that he immediately noticed a change in McGregor's movement and warned the referee that his opponent was injured. According to Holloway, McGregor repeatedly insisted that he wanted to continue despite the instability in his leg, further complicating the few seconds before the stoppage. Holloway later expressed hope that his rival would recover quickly, avoiding a celebration that would have ignored the circumstances of the finish. Such a reaction was understandable because even the winner did not get the opportunity to demonstrate the full range of the tactics prepared for a fight that was scheduled for up to five rounds. The official record nevertheless remains unambiguous: Holloway improved his professional record to 28 wins and nine losses, while McGregor fell to 22 wins and seven losses.
The fight also carried powerful historical symbolism. McGregor and Holloway first met in August 2013, when the Irishman won by unanimous decision after three rounds. McGregor also injured his knee during that bout, but managed to finish the fight and secure the victory, while Holloway went on to become featherweight champion and one of the most durable strikers of his generation in the years that followed. Thirteen years later, the rematch was booked at welterweight, at 170 pounds, or approximately 77 kilograms. Holloway's technical-knockout victory levelled their head-to-head record at 1-1, but the manner of the finish left open the question of whether the UFC might consider a third meeting in the future. Holloway himself expressed interest in a trilogy, but no new fight has been officially arranged.
The comeback after five years lasted only 69 seconds
UFC 329 was McGregor's first appearance since July 10, 2021, when he broke his left leg near the end of the first round in his third fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The recovery from that injury was lengthy, and a planned comeback against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024 was cancelled after McGregor broke a toe during preparations. Because of the combination of injuries, postponements and prolonged inactivity, he faced Holloway after more than five years without an official MMA fight. Such a layoff is particularly demanding in a sport in which rhythm, reactions, conditioning and resistance to contact depend on continuous competitive activity. That is precisely why UFC 329 was not merely supposed to answer whether McGregor could win again, but also whether his body could withstand the full intensity of elite mixed martial arts competition.
After 69 seconds, the answer remained incomplete. McGregor was not defeated after a developed tactical battle, but at the same time he failed to demonstrate that he was capable of safely completing an entire fight after such a long absence. The injury occurred during an explosive movement intended to impose the pace immediately and evoke the aggressive style from the earlier stages of his career. Instead of a comeback story, the audience witnessed another stoppage connected to his leg, following the fracture in 2021 and the foot injury that prevented his planned appearance in 2024. This does not mean that all three injuries are medically connected, but their sequence increases doubts about his ability to maintain a regular fighting schedule.
The final fight of the contract now has no reliable date
Before UFC 329, McGregor said he had two fights remaining on his current contract: the rematch with Holloway and one more appearance that, according to him, was scheduled to take place no later than April 2027. MMA Fighting reported before the event that the Irishman was unhappy with the possibility of an almost ten-month gap between those two dates and wanted to remain more active. Following the defeat in Las Vegas, according to his own post, he now has one fight left on his contract. However, knee surgery and rehabilitation may alter the earlier plan, and neither the UFC nor McGregor's team announced a new date as of July 13. If a more serious ligament injury is confirmed, April 2027 could become a difficult target to achieve, but without a definitive diagnosis it is impossible to reliably assess whether that deadline will be moved.
The question of his final opponent also remains open. Holloway has publicly shown a willingness to take part in a third fight, which would have a clear sporting narrative because their rivalry is now tied. Michael Chandler remains a logical commercial option because of their previously planned bout and their joint participation in the television project The Ultimate Fighter, although that matchup is no longer officially scheduled. Other major names also appear regularly in public speculation, but there is currently no confirmation that the UFC is negotiating a specific fight. Before an opponent is selected, it will be crucial to establish whether McGregor can once again complete a full training camp and receive medical clearance to compete. His desire to fulfil the contract is clear, but the final decision will depend on his health, negotiations and the organization's schedule.
UFC 329 showed that McGregor still attracts enormous interest
Despite the sporting disappointment in the main event, the show confirmed McGregor's exceptional commercial importance. Dana White announced before the event that UFC 329 had generated approximately 25 million US dollars in ticket revenue, setting a new organizational gate record. According to MMA Fighting's report, the previous record stood at around 22 million dollars. The record-breaking sales demonstrate that a five-year absence has not removed McGregor from the centre of global interest in combat sports. At the same time, such a strong market impact increases the likelihood that the UFC will be interested in another appearance by him if medical conditions allow it.
Commercial value, however, does not eliminate sporting risks. McGregor has not won in the UFC since January 2020, when he stopped Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds, and since then he has lost two fights to Poirier and now the rematch against Holloway. His last two official appearances ended with serious leg injuries, further distinguishing his current situation from the period in which he simultaneously held titles in two weight divisions. The UFC must therefore balance his appeal to the audience with the realistic question of his competitive readiness. A potential final appearance under the contract will probably be a major event, but it will no longer be viewed only as a sporting comeback; it will also be a test of whether McGregor can complete a fight without another physical breakdown.
Surgery is only the first step towards a possible return
McGregor's message on July 13 was focused on continuing his career rather than retiring. He stressed that he intended to undergo surgery, preparatory rehabilitation and a return to martial arts training before making another attempt. In professional sport, such a process usually involves more than the healing of injured tissue: the fighter must restore joint stability, strength, explosiveness, coordination and confidence in the movements that caused the injury. An additional challenge for an MMA competitor is the fact that the knee must withstand strikes, changes of direction, takedowns, takedown defence and ground fighting. Therefore, genuine progress will only be possible to assess once McGregor begins full training without restrictions and his medical team confirms that he can safely withstand competitive demands.
Until then, his status remains uncertain. The need for surgery has been confirmed and he has expressed an intention to complete one more UFC fight, but the date of the procedure, the definitive diagnosis, the recovery period and the opponent have not been confirmed. Holloway officially recorded the victory, while McGregor was left without an answer to the key question that accompanied his return: whether, after years away, he can once again build continuity at the highest level. The next information from his medical and fighting camp will be more important than any announcement, because only that information will show whether the final fight of the contract is an achievable plan or merely a goal whose fulfilment will require another long and uncertain comeback.
Sources:
- Associated Press - report on McGregor's announcement of surgery, the injury, the fight stoppage and statements from those involved (link)
- Associated Press - details of UFC 329, the official course of the main event and the initial assessment of the injury (link)
- UFC - official results and finishing time of the McGregor-Holloway fight at UFC 329 (link)
- MMA Fighting - McGregor's post regarding surgery, his contract and the uncertain timeframe for his return (link)
- MMA Fighting - information about the two remaining fights before UFC 329 and the planned final appearance of the contract (link)
- MMA Fighting - information about UFC 329's record ticket revenue (link)