Conor McGregor suffered ACL and meniscus tears to his right knee early in the first round of his UFC 329 bout against Max Holloway on July 11, 2026, forcing him out of the fight by TKO [1, 2, 3]. The injury happened when McGregor attempted a jumping switch roundhouse kick but immediately was unable to put weight on his right leg and informed the referee he could not continue [2, 3].
McGregor, 38, was making his first UFC appearance since July 2021, when he broke his left leg against Dustin Poirier [1]. His UFC career record now stands at 22 wins and 7 losses after UFC 329 [3].
Describing the injury as "quite shocking," McGregor noted it was the same type of injury he sustained in his first fight against Holloway 13 years ago, but this time on the opposite leg: "It was ACL and meniscus. It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg" [2]. Despite the severity, he expressed optimism about recovery due to advances in regenerative medicine and training methods. He reported making positive progress, including walking unaided and performing quad activation exercises, aiming to return by summer 2027 to complete the final fight on his UFC contract [2, 3].
UFC President Dana White confirmed the ACL injury during a news conference on August 6. White said McGregor’s knee is "f---ed up," adding, "He’s got to have knee surgery, he’s going to have to go through physical therapy, it’s all going to take time, and then when the doctor says you can start hardcore training again, then we start talking about Conor McGregor again" [1].
On July 12, McGregor posted about his injury on social media, confirming the ACL and meniscus tear and noting he had begun rehabilitation without crutches [2, 3]. McGregor plans to undergo surgery soon and enter physical therapy with a return target set for next summer [1, 2, 3].
