Conor McGregor says ACL and meniscus tears ended UFC 329 fight
The former UFC two-division champion said he injured the opposite leg from his first Max Holloway bout and is targeting a return next summer.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Conor McGregor says his UFC 329 rematch with Max Holloway ended with a torn ACL and meniscus, putting the Irish star on a recovery track he believes can still lead back to the cage next summer.
The former two-division UFC champion confirmed the injuries Sunday in a social media post, according to CBS Sports. McGregor said the damage matched what happened in his first fight with Holloway, except this time it was in the other leg.
“It was ACL and meniscus,” McGregor wrote in the post. “It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg.”
McGregor also pointed to his comeback from that earlier knee injury, saying he returned within nine months to face Diego Brandao. He said advances in regenerative medicine and training have him convinced a return by next summer is realistic.
According to CBS Sports, McGregor appeared to hurt the knee during the fight’s opening exchange while trying a jumping switch kick. His coach, John Kavanagh, said the move had been drilled throughout training camp, and that McGregor entered the bout healthy after the team took extra steps to protect his availability.
Once McGregor got back to his feet, CBS Sports reported, he could not put weight on the leg. He then told referee Mike Beltran he could not continue.
McGregor’s update included a more upbeat view of his early recovery. He said he is already walking without a crutch and recently used a leg extension machine without a problem. He said he can move unaided and activate his quad against resistance, calling those signs positive.
The injury comes at a pivotal point in McGregor’s UFC deal. CBS Sports reported that McGregor’s targeted return next summer would be the final fight on his current contract with the promotion.
The moments after the injury were chaotic. CBS Sports reported that McGregor left the building immediately after the fight and got into a waiting car without returning to the locker room to change or collect his belongings.
He later addressed the emotional fallout in a social media message, writing about the dark place he was in at the time of the injury, according to CBS Sports.
In his Sunday post, McGregor also suggested the injury may have kept him from something worse, saying he believed he had been “saved.” He wrote that he would have attended the after-party as “the man” had the fight gone differently, then wondered what might have happened after that.
For now, McGregor’s comeback plan is centered on rehab, patience and a summer target. The Holloway rematch is over, but McGregor has made clear he does not see UFC 329 as the end of the line.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.