Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the UFC ended after just 69 seconds as the former two-division champion suffered a knee injury in a defeat to Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
The 37-year-old Irishman, fighting for the first time since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021, injured his knee moments into the contest at T-Mobile Arena.
Referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight after McGregor got back to his feet but appeared unable to continue.
McGregor opened the fight with two high kicks but missed both attempts and fell to the canvas. After regaining his footing, he stumbled visibly before the referee waved off the bout.
The defeat was McGregor’s seventh in mixed martial arts and his fourth in his last five UFC fights.
He has recorded only one victory since 2016.
For Holloway, the win avenged his defeat to McGregor when they first met in 2013 and improved his professional record to 28 victories in 37 fights.
The former featherweight champion was making his welterweight debut.
“You guys are lucky because there is going to be a Holloway v McGregor 3 now,” Holloway said.
“It is what it is. I’ll sit down with the UFC. There was so much hype for that. We have to run it back one more time. We need one more.
“I was looking forward to this. I was working hard to get to 170lb and fight this guy. For it to end like this, it sucks.”
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The bout marked McGregor’s return after serving an 18-month suspension for violating the UFC’s anti-doping policy following three missed drug tests in 2024. The ban, backdated to September 2024, expired in March.
McGregor also returned to competition amid continued scrutiny over a series of off-field controversies, including legal proceedings in recent years.
Despite the anticlimactic finish, Holloway’s victory keeps him among the leading contenders after stepping up to welterweight.
However, questions remain over whether he will stay in the division or return to lightweight, where he holds a strong claim for another title opportunity.
The result also leaves uncertainty over McGregor’s fighting future, with his comeback ending before he could test himself over a full round.
