Conor McGregor Injures Leg In First Round Of UFC 329 Main Event Vs. Max Holloway

In what was considered one of the most anticipated returns in recent UFC history, Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 was unable to live up to the hype, with the Irishman suffering a leg injury in the very first round.

Not only was it the first round of the fight when McGregor was forced to retire for the evening, but upon reviewing the video, UFC commentators realized it was during the very first strike of the fight that the injury occurred. Right as the round began, McGregor came forward, teeming with adrenaline, and threw an unconventional jumping roundhouse kick. When he came down from the jumping attack, he landed with his knee at an awkward angle, and immediately showed signs of extreme pain.

From there, it was clear that the fight would not continue much further. Max Holloway realized immediately that there was something wrong, as McGregor found himself back on the ground a few moments later after attempting another kick, and held back respectfully to avoid inflicting any unnecessary damage. Once it became clear what was going on, that the Irishman could not put any weight on his leg, referee Mike Beltran stepped in and waved off the action, tying an anti-climactic conclusion to an otherwise exciting evening of bouts.

Max Holloway defeats Conor McGregor by TKO in Round 1#UFC329 pic.twitter.com/52BnFWgeh2

— UFC (@ufc) July 12, 2026

Prior to Saturday night, McGregor most recently stepped into the UFC octagon back in 2021 for his trilogy match with Dustin Poirier, which resulted in a TKO loss caused by the Irishman breaking his leg. He had his return match scheduled for 2024 against Michael Chandler, following the pair coaching opposite one another on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, but unfortunately the match did not come to fruition because of another injury.

Now, after all the recovery and hype over the last five years, McGregor left the octagon facing another loss as a result of injury, and this time it wasn’t the same leg he broke in 2021. Meanwhile, Holloway cruised to his 24th UFC win in his welterweight debut, and says he is looking forward to an opportunity to fight McGregor for a third time.