McGregor vows to return after knee injury in UFC comeback defeat

LAS VEGAS: Conor McGregor said his right knee had not been troubling him before he was injured on the opening kick of his comeback bout against Max Holloway, and he pledged to fight again once he recovers.

The Irish fighter was beaten in 69 seconds at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, bringing an abrupt end to a five-year absence from mixed martial arts competition. McGregor hurt himself when he planted his right leg while attempting a jumping roundhouse kick at the start of the fight. He then fell to the canvas for the first of three times before the contest was stopped.

In a post on X on Sunday, McGregor rejected suggestions that there had been any visible issue as he entered the arena and said he had been fully prepared for the bout. He wrote:

I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place.

McGregor, whose previous fight had ended with a broken left leg in a 2021 defeat, said the latest setback would not end his career. In another post, he said:

I will overcome this. I will not be deterred. I will return.

He also described the injury in cryptic terms, writing, my head gasket is gone. Destroyed, taken to mean torn knee ligaments. McGregor insisted that he had entered the fight without any physical issues and said the injury happened unexpectedly. He wrote:

I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere.

McGregor also described the emotional impact of the setback, saying:

"I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."

Holloway, who won the bout and joked that he had made McGregor weak in the knees, said he would welcome another meeting in the future. The two had previously fought in 2013, when Holloway lost. In his own message on X, Holloway wrote:

Thank you Conor for fight. Took a lot to make that walk after these past few years. Sending prayers for a speedy recovery.