Conor McGregor faces surgery after ACL injury in UFC return
Dana White said McGregor hurt his ACL in his loss to Max Holloway and future fight talk can wait until surgery and rehab are done.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
Conor McGregor’s comeback has hit another brutal pause: UFC president Dana White said the former champion suffered an ACL injury during his return fight against Max Holloway.
White addressed McGregor’s right knee at a news conference Saturday, according to ESPN. Asked about the injury McGregor picked up in the opening seconds of his welterweight bout with Holloway on July 11, White checked with someone at the podium before identifying the issue as an ACL injury.
White then gave a blunt assessment, saying McGregor’s knee was “f---ed up,” ESPN reported.
The injury happened during McGregor’s first-round loss at UFC 329 earlier this month. The fight was his first appearance in the UFC since July 2021, when he broke his left leg in a first-round defeat to Dustin Poirier.
McGregor, 38, said in a social media post Monday that he planned to have surgery, then return for another bout. According to ESPN, McGregor said that fight would be the last one remaining on his UFC contract.
White, however, made clear that he is not ready to discuss the next McGregor fight yet. The UFC president said McGregor first needs surgery, then physical therapy, and only after a doctor clears him for serious training would the promotion revisit his future.
“The Conor McGregor discussion isn't even worth talking about,” White said, according to ESPN. “He's got to have knee surgery, he's going to have to go through physical therapy, it's all going to take time, and then when the doctor says you can start hardcore training again, then we start talking about Conor McGregor again.”
The setback extends a long spell of inactivity and injury trouble for one of UFC’s biggest names. McGregor had been out since the Poirier fight in 2021, when the broken leg ended that bout in the first round.
His return against Holloway lasted only one round before ending in defeat, and White’s update now places the focus on medical treatment rather than match-making.
McGregor has publicly signaled that he wants to fight again after surgery, while White’s comments put any UFC timetable behind the recovery process. No date for surgery, rehab length or possible return fight was announced in ESPN’s report.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.