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Nearly five years after his last trip to the Octagon, Conor McGregor made his long-awaited UFC return Saturday night against MMA star Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
McGregor opened up aggressively, trying to kick before briefly throwing his head around. He seemed to slip into both. Holloway capitalized quickly after the second, taking top position and landing a right hand before McGregor could work his way back to his feet.
Seconds later, McGregor hit the canvas again after trying to kick with his right leg, which seemed to buckle under him.
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Ireland’s Conor McGregor takes part in the walk before facing Max Holloway of the United States in their welterweight fight during UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The official inside the Octagon raised his hand and walked out of the fight later, handing Holloway the TKO victory.
During the broadcast, UFC CEO Dana White pointed to a replay of the first round that appeared to show when McGregor suffered the injury. The injury apparently wasn’t the same leg that McGregor broke during his fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021, which led to a lengthy absence from the Octagon.
The loss extended McGregor’s long winless drought, his last UFC win coming via a first-round TKO against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in January 2020.
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McGregor earned a unanimous decision over Holloway in the featherweight tournament in 2013, where the MMA megastar was not. Suddenly, McGregor’s star rose.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway face off during the UFC 329 weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 10, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
On Wednesday, he admitted he was caught up in his fame after winning two UFC belts and becoming one of the biggest names in combat sports.
“I introduced Irish whiskey,” McGregor said. “I didn’t drink much, if at all, at that time of my life. I was the best athlete in my sport. Next thing you know, thousands and thousands of bottles (are) in my garage.
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“‘Sell this, Conor.’ Okay, I was going to leave my place with two bottles under my arm, that was it. I was caught. And I wasn’t used to it. And that’s it. God gave me these lessons. That’s it. I was caught and caught, and that’s it.”
Conor McGregor jumps in the air for a kick against Max Holloway in the welterweight fight at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (John Locher/AP)
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Easier said than done, perhaps, as the former controversial champion has been embroiled in numerous controversies and legal issues over the past few years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
