McGregor to undergo surgery after 69-second UFC return, vows to fight again

The injury

Conor McGregor's return to the UFC octagon after five years away lasted 69 seconds before a knee injury ended his fight against Max Holloway on Saturday in Las Vegas. The 37-year-old Irishman landed awkwardly on his right leg after attempting a jump kick in the opening moments of the first round. He tried to continue for a few seconds but signalled to the referee that he could not go on. UFC CEO Dana White said the organisation's doctors believe McGregor suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). McGregor himself has not disclosed the exact nature of the injury or a timeline for recovery.

My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. 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. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.

Denial of pre-existing injury

Rumours spread on social media immediately after the fight suggesting McGregor had entered the octagon already injured. The Dubliner addressed the speculation directly on X, stating he had no injuries before the bout and that the incident "came out of nowhere." His long-time coach John Kavanagh backed that account in a Facebook post, saying the switch-foot jump kick had been practised daily for months without issue. "The knee went on the first kick," Kavanagh wrote. "It can't get any worse than this." Dana White also dismissed the pre-injury theories, noting that with an enormous global audience watching, nobody had noticed anything amiss beforehand.

That switch jump kick we had practiced daily for months, multiple times in the warm-up. Never had an issue. The knee went on the first kick. It can't get any worse than this.

Surgery and vow to return

On Monday, McGregor posted on Instagram confirming he will undergo surgery and intends to fight again. He described a path of surgery, prehabilitation, return to martial arts practice, and a final fight on his existing UFC contract. White said the organisation is supportive of another comeback and revealed he had "five ideas" for McGregor's next opponent had he beaten Holloway. McGregor turns 38 on Tuesday.

Surgery. Prehab. Return to martial arts practice. Go again. Final fight of the contract. Please God!

A career of setbacks

Saturday's loss by technical knockout was the seventh of McGregor's career and his fourth in his last five fights. His last UFC victory was a 40-second finish of Donald Cerrone in January 2020. Since beating Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 to become a two-weight champion, McGregor has fought only five times in the UFC and lost four of those bouts. His overall MMA record stands at 22 wins and seven defeats from 29 fights.

Controversies outside the octagon

McGregor's time away from competition was marked by legal and disciplinary troubles. In November 2024, a jury in an Irish civil court found him liable for the rape of Nikita Hand in 2018. In October 2025, he accepted an 18-month ban for whereabouts failures after missing three attempts by Combat Sports Anti-Doping to collect biological samples from him in 2024. The ban was backdated and expired in March. The BBC noted that critics have questioned whether McGregor still deserves the spotlight given these controversies. The Guardian reported he also became aligned with hard-right figures during an aborted run for the Irish presidency.