Conor McGregor's comeback ends in 69 seconds at UFC 329

Conor McGregor's five-year comeback ended in 69 seconds Saturday night when he blew out his knee against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.

The welterweight headliner at T-Mobile Arena stopped at 1:09 of the first round after McGregor, 38 this week, planted awkwardly and his knee gave out. No contact was involved. MMA Mania reports the event set an all-time gate record of $25 million, with nosebleed seats selling for thousands of dollars.

McGregor denies pre-existing injury led to knee explosion

McGregor posted on social media after the loss that he had no injuries heading into the fight. "I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight," he wrote, per the outlet. "This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."

The Irishman spent the build-up promising a beating so severe Holloway would be forced to retire. Instead, McGregor fell to 1-5 over the past decade, a stretch that includes the Mayweather boxing loss and a broken leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in summer 2021. His previous comeback attempt, scheduled for UFC 303 in June 2024, collapsed when he broke his pinky toe and withdrew from the Michael Chandler fight.

McGregor has one bout remaining on his UFC contract and is tentatively slated for April 2027.

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• MMA Mania — Conor McGregor’s feeble comeback attempt lasted 69 seconds, a fitting end for his corroded legacy | UFC 329