Conor McGregor issues first comments after disastrous UFC 329 injury: 'I can only describe it as hell'
Conor McGregor waited five years for his UFC 329 return. He likely has another lengthy layoff ahead of him if he ever wants to fight again.
The former two-division UFC champion’s long-awaited comeback bout ended in disaster on Saturday night at UFC 329, as McGregor appeared to suffer a devastating right knee injury just seconds into his rematch against Max Holloway. All told, the bout lasted just 69 seconds, with McGregor losing his first fight since 2021 after referee Mike Beltran waved off the contest with the Irish star compromised.
McGregor swiftly left the arena with a noticeable limp and without speaking to the media. Just hours after the contest, a shattered McGregor issued his first remarks on social media, clarifying that he was uninjured heading into the bout and describing himself as being in “hell.”
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. 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.
McGregor, 37, infamously suffered a torn ACL nearly 13 years ago in his first UFC meeting against Holloway, which nonetheless ended in a decision win for the Irishman. Most recently, McGregor’s prior fight before UFC 329 — a 2021 trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier — was stopped in gruesome fashion when he sustained a broken leg.
A former featherweight and lightweight champion, McGregor entered Saturday night with two bouts remaining on his UFC contract and was expected to return again sometime in early 2027. That target date, however, is now in jeopardy.
