Conor McGregor has now given the clearest explanation yet for the knee injury that stopped his UFC 329 comeback after only 69 seconds against Max Holloway.
McGregor said the damage was an ACL and meniscus tear, naming the second injury after Dana White and Hunter Campbell had already confirmed an ACL issue and another tear. His update also gives the first return target: next summer.
The former two-division UFC champion connected the injury to his first Holloway fight in 2013. In that bout, McGregor tore the ACL in his left knee, still won by decision, then returned against Diego Brandao the next year. This time, he said the same kind of injury landed on the opposite leg.
McGregor’s Full Injury Update
Update: It was acl and meniscus. It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg. Quite shocking. I returned to competition within 9 months to fight Diego Brandao back then. With today’s regenerative medicine advancements and improved training methods it is well within my realm to return by next summer. I am walking without a crutch. I done leg extension machine work the other day to no issue. So I can walk without aid, and activate my quad under resistance. All very positive. I am maximum discipline and have maintained it fully since the bout. I wonder was I saved from something worse here. I believe so. I would have attended the after party as “the man” and who knows then. I believe I was saved. Thank you God! On we go, no sad stories. Thank you for the support and well wishes everyone, your health is your wealth.
Update: It was acl and meniscus. It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg. Quite shocking. I returned to competition within 9 months to fight Diego Brandao back then. With today’s regenerative medicine advancements and improved training… pic.twitter.com/2Me14ayIgh
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 19, 2026
Why McGregor Points To Next Summer
McGregor’s comparison gives the timeline context. His first Holloway fight took place in August 2013, and he returned against Brandao in July 2014. This update says modern regenerative medicine and improved training methods make a next-summer comeback realistic in his view.
The rehab details he shared are specific: he says he is walking without a crutch, has already used a leg extension machine without issue, and can activate his quad under resistance. He also tied the early progress to what he called maximum discipline since the bout.
That target follows what he said right after UFC 329, when he pointed to surgery, rehab, and one final UFC contract fight. The new post narrows the comeback window instead of leaving the timetable open.
White had already said McGregor needed surgery, physical therapy, and medical clearance before another UFC booking made sense. His earlier injury comments are below.
https://x.com/ChampRDS/status/2078687555457810808
The practical path now is surgery, rehab, and a full camp strong enough to test the repaired knee. The Holloway rematch was supposed to restart McGregor’s UFC run after years away, but it instead turned into another recovery, with McGregor still insisting he entered UFC 329 healthy and one UFC contract fight still remaining.
