Athletes
Conor McGregor Announces Surgery After UFC 329 Injury
"The Notorious" Wrote On Social Media About The Injury And His Plans For The Future
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor announced he’ll undergo surgery following a knee injury sustained during the main event of UFC 329.
McGregor ended a five-year hiatus when he returned to the Octagon at T-Mobile Arena on July 11. But his main event fight with former featherweight and BMF champion Max Holloway lasted just 69 seconds when a knee injury sustained in the bout’s opening seconds proved too much to overcome and referee Mike Beltran was forced to wave off the contest.
UFC 329 REWIND: Main Card Results | Prelim Results | Scorecards | Bonus Winners
Immediately following the bout, McGregor shared an update to his followers on social media.
My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026
“My head gasket is gone. Destroyed,” he wrote on X.
“I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.”
MORE: Dana White Talks UFC 329
McGregor continued and directly addressed suggestions online that he was carrying an injury into the bout.
“I was so sharp and so ready for this fight, I cannot believe what has happened,” he wrote.
I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026
“The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock 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.”
McGregor then defiantly declared that he will fight back from his latest injury setback to return to the Octagon again.
“I will overcome this. I will not be deterred. I will return.”
Speaking to reporters backstage at the UFC 329 post-fight press conference, UFC President and CEO Dana White offered his thoughts on McGregor’s situation.
Dana White Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 329
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Dana White Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 329
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“Listen, everybody who knows anything about the fight business – and it’s been a big topic of discussion leading up to this fight – five years off, in this sport, is rough,” he said.
“Who knew what Conor was capable of as far as cardio, or whatever else, after a five-year layoff. And, well, there you go.
READ: The Biggest Storylines From UFC 329
“We’re assuming [he sustained a] blown ACL. I’m no doctor, but that’s what I figured when I saw it, and the doctors think the same thing, too.”
White said he wasn’t sure what the future held for McGregor, but he didn’t have to wait long for “The Notorious” to make clear his plans as the Irishman posted an update to his Instagram on Monday.
WATCH: About Last Fight | Holloway, Pimblett And The Wild Night That Was UFC 329
“Surgery. Prehab. Return to martial arts practice. Go again,” he wrote on X.
UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 11, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!