In brief
- Beaten by Max Holloway in 69 seconds at UFC 329, Conor McGregor is asking for the result to be overturned to a no contest.
- He is also asking for bets placed on the fight to be refunded.
- On Instagram, he says he is waiting on scan results for his injured leg.
- His coach John Kavanagh and UFC boss Dana White have both denied that any injury existed beforehand.
Thought the UFC 329 story ended with Conor McGregor’s injury? The Irishman, for his part, clearly isn’t ready to leave it there. After his swift loss to Max Holloway, “The Notorious” is now asking for the result to simply be wiped from his record.
A loss he refuses to accept on his record
Back in the octagon after a five-year absence, McGregor (22-7) faced Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The script fell apart quickly: on the very first exchange, the Irishman threw a jumping kick and injured his right knee, unable to plant his footing properly afterward. The referee stopped the fight after just 69 seconds, handing Holloway a win by injury stoppage. The winner immediately called for a rematch, saying he wanted to “make a little more money.”
“The fight should be a no contest”
A few days after the disappointment, McGregor took to Instagram to give his version of events and his intentions. “A few things: 1. I’ll have the scan results on my leg tomorrow. 2. The fight should be a no contest and all bets should be refunded,” he wrote. The move is only half-surprising coming from a former two-division champion known for contesting decisions that don’t go his way, but it immediately reignites the debate over the circumstances of his loss.
A pre-existing injury? Kavanagh and White deny it
McGregor’s statement feeds a theory that was already circulating before the fight: that an injury happened even before he stepped into the octagon. The Irishman had indeed stumbled and grimaced while taking off his shoes before heading to the cage, a moment that raised suspicions about the state of his right leg. But both his coach, John Kavanagh, and UFC boss Dana White have reaffirmed that no injury existed before the fight began. That account directly contradicts McGregor’s claim, making an official change to the result by the relevant commission highly unlikely.
A financial backdrop that doesn’t help his case
On the business side, though, the night was a resounding success for the organization: UFC 329 broke its gate-revenue record, surpassing every previous event held at T-Mobile Arena, without even adding new seats. A paradox that shows just how much McGregor’s name still sells regardless of the sporting result, and one that makes the question of refunding bets, which he is now demanding, all the more sensitive.
A status apart in UFC history
This controversy comes as McGregor remains one of the most closely watched names in the sport. The first fighter in UFC history to hold two belts in two different divisions at once, the Irishman knows that every one of his statements travels around the MMA world instantly. His request for a reversal, even if it has little chance of succeeding given the denials from his own camp, fits that pattern: keeping the conversation about his career going, at a time when his sporting future hinges on his scan results and the surgery announced in the wake of his loss.
What to remember
For now, Conor McGregor‘s loss to Max Holloway stands as recorded, despite his request to have it overturned to a no contest and bets refunded. One thing is certain: between the announced surgery and this new controversy, “The Notorious”‘s post-UFC 329 story is far from over. It remains to be seen whether the scan results he mentioned will back up his version of events, and whether the UFC or the Nevada athletic commission will see fit to publicly address this unusual request.
To see where these fighters stand, check the current UFC rankings, and for upcoming dates, the 2026 UFC schedule.
