Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon ended in disaster at UFC 329, lasting 69 seconds after the Irishman took a knee against Max Holloway.
Making his first promotional appearance since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021, the 37-year-old’s comeback was cut short. McGregor came out of the gate aggressively, throwing a few high kicks, but missed both times and ended up on the canvas.
Although the former two-weight champion was able to scramble back to his feet, he looked unsteady at all. When McGregor stumbled, referee Mike Beltran had seen enough and immediately waved off the contest, awarding Holloway the technical knockout victory.
Holloway reacts in an anti-climactic ending
The win saw Holloway avenge his 2013 loss to McGregor, taking his impressive record to 28 wins from 37 fights. However, making his welterweight debut at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the former featherweight champion appeared frustrated by the sudden stoppage.
“You’re in luck because there will be a Holloway v McGregor 3 match now,” said Holloway in his interview after the fight.
“It is what it is. I’ll sit down with the UFC. There was a lot of tension about that. We’ve got to take it back. We need another one.
“I’ve been looking forward to this. I’ve been working hard to get to 170lb and fight this guy. For it to end like this, it’s ridiculous.”
The build up of injuries and McGregor’s growing defeat
The general feeling ahead of the fight is that if McGregor is to win, he will need to land an early knockout – a tactic the Irishman has clearly embraced. However, chaos struck almost immediately. McGregor’s knee appeared to give way when he missed his first attempt at a roundhouse kick in the opening seconds. Holloway dodged a second kick attempt and quickly registered that his opponent was badly hurt.
The result marks the seventh defeat of McGregor’s career and his fourth defeat in his last five fights. He has just one win inside the cage since 2016.
The return was marred by heavy conflicts
Ahead of UFC 329, critics have questioned whether McGregor is still worthy of the international spotlight following a series of serious out-of-competition controversies, legal battles, and missed drug tests.
In November 2024, Nikita Hand, who accused McGregor of raping her, won her civil suit for damages for rape.
In addition, McGregor was recently eligible to compete after accepting an 18-month ban for violating the UFC’s anti-doping policy, having missed three drug tests within a 12-month period in 2024. That ban, which dates back to his third failed test in September 2024, was only lifted in March.
Despite the widespread controversy, UFC executives capitalizing on McGregor’s unparalleled power clearly believe they can still draw attention to the sport and make big money from the promotion without hurting the brand.
Instead, his long-awaited return leaves the game with more questions than answers.
