At a Glance
- Beaten by Max Holloway in 69 seconds at UFC 329, on July 11, 2026, Conor McGregor confirmed the diagnosis for his right knee injury: a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus damage.
- It is the same injury he suffered against Holloway in 2013, but on the opposite leg.
- The Irishman says he is already walking without crutches and doing quad work on a machine pain-free.
- He is targeting a return to competition by summer 2027, after taking nine months to come back from his 2013 injury.
- A surgery date has not yet been set.
On Sunday, Conor McGregor put an end to the uncertainty surrounding his injury since his quick loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329. On social media, the Irishman confirmed what UFC boss Dana White had already hinted at the day before: a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the right knee, along with meniscus damage. “Update: it was the ACL and meniscus,” McGregor wrote, putting an end to several days of speculation over the exact extent of his injury.
The scenario on July 11 in Las Vegas had all the makings of a nightmare for the former double champion. Back in the octagon after five years away, McGregor was hurt attempting a running kick in the opening exchanges against Holloway. The referee stopped the fight after just 69 seconds, handing the Hawaiian a win by injury stoppage and McGregor a new physical battle to overcome.
The Same Injury as 2013, on the Opposite Leg
What stands out most in McGregor’s explanation is the striking symmetry with an episode he already lived through. “It’s the same injury as the first fight against Holloway, except this time it’s the opposite leg. It’s quite surprising,” he said. In 2013, in their first meeting in the UFC, which McGregor won by unanimous decision, the Irishman had already torn his anterior cruciate ligament, that time in his left knee. Thirteen years later, it’s the right knee’s turn to give out, under almost identical circumstances.
McGregor noted that it took him nine months to get back into the octagon that time, to face Diego Brandao. A timeline he now hopes to shorten, convinced that medicine has moved forward since then. “With the current advances in regenerative medicine and improved training methods, a return by next summer is entirely realistic,” he wrote, before detailing his current state of recovery: he is walking without crutches and has resumed leg extension work on a machine “with no issues at all,” enough to work his quadriceps without strain.
A Return Targeted for Summer 2027, Surgery Still to Be Scheduled
While McGregor’s optimism contrasts with the severity of the diagnosis, caution remains the order of the day: a date for his surgery has not yet been set, and the UFC has not announced any official return timeline. The 38-year-old Irishman knows that each new injury further complicates the equation of a return to the top, having made this fight against Holloway the starting point of a final chapter in the octagon.
Beyond the purely medical side, McGregor also offered a more personal take on the episode. “I wonder if I dodged something worse. I believe I did. I would likely have taken part in the post-fight festivities as the ‘star of the night,’ and who knows what would have happened after that. I think I was spared,” he wrote, pointing to a discipline he has kept up “since the fight” and thanking his supporters.
Key Takeaway
The diagnosis is now official: a torn ACL and meniscus in the right knee, thirteen years after an almost identical injury to the left leg against the same opponent. McGregor has not given a surgery date, but says he is targeting a return to the octagon by summer 2027, with the ambition of fighting out the final bout of his UFC contract. Until then, his progress (walking unaided, pain-free quad work) will be closely tracked by an MMA community used to following his every move.
FAQ
What exactly is Conor McGregor’s injury from UFC 329?
McGregor confirmed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus damage in his right knee, an injury suffered while attempting a running kick against Max Holloway.
When does Conor McGregor plan to return to competition?
The Irishman is targeting a return by summer 2027. No surgery date has been set so far.
Had McGregor suffered this type of injury before?
Yes, in 2013 in his first fight against Holloway, which McGregor won, where he tore the ACL in his left knee. It took him nine months to return to competition at the time.
To place these fighters in context, see the current UFC rankings, and for upcoming dates, the 2026 UFC schedule.
