LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� Conor McGregor鈥檚 return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 ended unceremoniously at just 1:09 of the first round Saturday night because of a knee injury.
Fighting for the first time in more than five years, McGregor flew across the ring with a flying left roundhouse kick when the match started and landed awkwardly on his right knee.
After attempting to kick and strike Holloway (28-9-0) two more times, it was clear McGregor (22-7-0) couldn鈥檛 finish the scheduled five-round welterweight bout.
鈥淔ive years off in this sport is rough,鈥� UFC president Dana White said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e assuming a blown ACL. That鈥檚 what I assumed when I saw it, and that鈥檚 what the doctors think, too.鈥�
Asked if there may have been an existing injury, White said there were no signs of it at Friday鈥檚 ceremonial weigh-in. White added that with the millions of social-media views of McGregor rushing Holloway at the weigh-in, someone would have noticed if anyone was injured.
Holloway said he kept telling referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight because it was apparent McGregor was injured, but the former champion kept saying, 鈥淔ight!鈥�
鈥淒uring the fight, you could see his demeanor change,鈥� Holloway said. 鈥淲hen I saw him hurt, I said, 鈥楥all this, he鈥檚 hurt.’
鈥淚 just hope for a speedy recovery.鈥�
Holloway closed a -300 favorite at Bet MGM Sportsbook, which means a bettor would have to lay $300 to win $100. McGregor was a +240 underdog, which means a bettor would win $240 with a $100 wager on the Irishman.
McGregor, who strolled to the ring to the sounds of Notorious Biggie Smalls鈥� 鈥淗ypnotize鈥� and the roar of the sold-out crowd, last fought exactly five years and a day before Saturday night.
The fans were also treated to Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham serving as a guest ring girl before the first round of the main event. White said it was decided eight minutes before she strolled around the cage in a black top and sequenced shorts, stopping occasionally to replicate her highly popular finger point from the recent game against the Phoenix Mercury.
To the delight of a frenzied audience just hours after his home country of England won its quarterfinal match over Norway in the World Cup, Liverpool鈥檚 Paddy Pimblett (24-4-0) made quick work of Benoit Saint Denis (17-4-0) with a first-round TKO. Pimblett, who closed a +120 underdog, blocked a roundhouse kick, shot in and quickly applied a D鈥橝rce Choke to put Saint Denis to sleep for the win in 52 seconds.
鈥淟ight work,鈥� Pimblett said with a smile at the post-fight press conference. 鈥淢other (expletive) got slept.鈥�
In a bantamweight battle, Mario Bautista (18-3-0) defeated Cory Sandhagen (18-7-0) by unanimous decision, after taking advantage of a first-round leg kick and applying pressure in each round after. A flurry of punches in the third round secured the decision.
In a scheduled three-round flyweight bout, Brandon Royval (18-9-0) applied a rear-naked choke on Lone鈥檈r Kavanagh (10-2-0) to win by submission at the 3:40 mark of the final round.
In an absolute shocker to start the main card, a bloodied King Green (36-17-0) overcame a beating for nearly the entire first round before landing a right hand to the jaw of Terrance McKinney (18-9-0) with roughly 20 seconds left, and then finished him off for a TKO at the 4:59 mark.
___
AP MMA:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
