It was billed as one of the greatest comebacks in combat sports history.
Instead, Conor McGregor’s long-awaited UFC return ended after just 69 seconds and now Max Holloway has revealed he believed something wasn’t right before the opening bell.
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McGregor opened the fight with a running kick, appearing to injure his right knee as he landed awkwardly. He then slipped while attempting another head kick moments later, making it immediately clear something had gone seriously wrong.
The bout was soon waved off, leaving the UFC world in “stunned disbelief”, as blow-by-blow commentator Jon Anik described it.
Almost immediately, attention turned to whether McGregor’s injury had occurred during the fight or whether the former two-division champion had entered the octagon carrying a pre-existing issue.
During his walkout and while waiting for the opening bell, McGregor appeared noticeably flatter than usual, lacking the trademark swagger and confidence that have long been a hallmark of his biggest UFC appearances.
Speaking after the fight, Holloway admitted he had sensed something wasn’t quite right with McGregor before the pair even touched gloves.
“Even as he was walking toward the cage, he didn’t look like the same Conor,” Holloway said.
“I mean, he was there to fight, sure, but I thought he’d be a bit more feisty, a bit more wild. He really looked extremely calm.
“So I was thinking to myself, ‘Whoa, let’s see where this is going.‘ Then, of course, I knew he was going to come at me with something, and it was a kick.
“Then he got hurt. What a shitty situation.”
Holloway’s comments only intensified speculation surrounding McGregor’s condition before the opening bell, with questions mounting over whether the injury occurred on his first kick or had already been troubling him during fight week.
UFC boss Dana White later told reporters McGregor was feared to have torn his ACL.
EVERY KO & submission from UFC 329 | 05:53
“I was expecting at least a one-round war. Who knew what Conor was capable of in terms of cardio after a five-year lay-off?” White said.
“But there you go. We’re assuming blown ACL. I’m no doctor, but that’s what I figured when I saw it and the doctors think the same thing, too.”
However, there remains uncertainty over the exact diagnosis.
Speaking on Uncrowned’s Post-Fight Show, Ariel Helwani revealed he had received messages from sports medicine doctor Brian Sutterer, who believed a meniscus injury could also be responsible.
“I can tell you guys this: I got a text from our good friend Dr Brian Sutterer, who’s always on point when it comes to these things,” Helwani said.
“Didn’t see the classic shift, like an obvious ACL. I’d say meniscus number one. ACL definitely possible and a concern, but not the definitive kind like we’ve seen in others.
“Would fit with some meniscus issues coming into the fight that got worse on the landing.”
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Speculation over a possible pre-fight injury intensified after McGregor was reportedly seen attending Newport Medical Plaza in California in the days before UFC 329.
The facility houses Kramer Orthopedics, where noted knee specialist Dr Warren Kramer practises.
McGregor’s long-time coach John Kavanagh later took to Facebook to deny the right knee had been an issue before the fight.
“That opening jump switch kick was drilled daily for months, multiple times in warm-up. Never an issue,” Kavanagh wrote.
“Knee went when he threw the very first kick. Doesn’t get any worse than this.”
McGregor left the arena shortly after the fight, still wearing his fighting attire, and declined to speak with media before departing in a waiting vehicle.
He later addressed the speculation in a statement on X, strongly rejecting suggestions he had entered the bout carrying an injury.
“I was so sharp and so ready for this fight. I cannot believe what has happened,” McGregor wrote.
Max Holloway’s classy post-fight speech | 01:35
“The talk of me being off while walking into the fight is nonsense.
“I was calm, ready and confident. I am in shock at what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face here. I am not engaging. I will be at church tomorrow.
“I will overcome this. I will not be deterred. I will return.”
McGregor had previously suffered a torn ACL during his first fight against Holloway in 2013.
White also backed the belief that McGregor had been healthy before entering the octagon, saying that “if there was a pre-existing injury, somebody would have noticed”.