Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the octagon ended in disaster just over a minute into the first round at UFC 329. The 37-year-old former champion blew out his right knee after planting his leg awkwardly following a jumping kick, handing a sudden first-round victory to Max Holloway.
The scene inside the T-Mobile Arena deflated instantly. McGregor completely abandoned traditional post-fight formalities. He refused to stand next to Holloway for the official decision. He blew past the customary cage interview with Joe Rogan. Instead, the injured fighter limped straight out of the cage to get his joint evaluated.
Pundits are already writing the obituary for his competitive days. According to a scathing column by Jason Burgos at Sportsnaut, McGregor faced heavy criticism for exiting the arena without giving his opponent credit. And the physical reality is impossible to ignore. This was his first walk to the cage in five years since snapping his tibia against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. Analysts across the sport point to his advancing age and back-to-back leg injuries as the definitive end of his mixed martial arts career.
But the anticlimactic finish didn’t hurt the bottom line. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the promotion set an all-time live gate record of $25 million. That figure comfortably eclipsed the previous $22 million high-water mark established by UFC 306 at The Sphere. The draw of a McGregor fight card clearly survived his half-decade absence.
Before the bout, McGregor’s head coach John Kavanagh told reporters the fighter was comfortable operating at the 170-pound welterweight limit and would likely never cut down to lightweight again. Following the chaotic opening minute against Holloway, a return to any weight class seems entirely off the table.