Dana White is not ready to discuss another Conor McGregor booking after the UFC 329 injury loss to Max Holloway.
McGregor’s rematch with Holloway ended in 69 seconds on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena after his right leg gave out during the opening exchange. He later said he had no injury going into the fight, but the UFC Oklahoma City post-fight press conference gave the clearest public update yet on what White believes has to happen before McGregor’s final-contract talk starts again.
White was first asked a simple question: “Any update on Conor McGregor?” His answer was blunt and left no room for an immediate Holloway trilogy discussion.
“He’s having knee surgery. That’s it,” White said. “I mean, the Conor McGregor discussion isn’t even worth talking about. 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.”
🚨 Dana White says Conor McGregor suffered an ACL injury
“Conor’s having knee surgery… he’s gonna have to go through physical therapy. It’s all gonna take time…
ACL… his knees f*cked.” pic.twitter.com/xnj0HdfdSH
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) July 19, 2026
Dana White Gives Conor McGregor Injury Timeline
A second question pushed for the exact knee injury, with the reporter noting that White had already been clear McGregor needed surgery but that the specific injury had not been publicly documented. White then turned toward UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell for the medical detail.
“I don’t know. Do you know?” White asked.
“ACL,” Campbell answered. “And there’s another tear. There’s two.”
“ACL,” White said. “His knee’s fucked up.”
🚨 Dana White says Conor McGregor suffered an ACL injury
“His knee is f*cked up.” 😬 pic.twitter.com/SW1xArV1LI
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 19, 2026
McGregor Already Said There Was No Pre-Fight Injury
McGregor’s own statement after UFC 329 is still part of the timeline. He pushed back on the idea that he entered the Holloway fight compromised, writing that he had been throwing kicks throughout camp and backstage before the fight.
My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026
That post came before the later recovery note in which McGregor pointed to surgery, prehab, a return to martial arts practice, and one final fight on his UFC contract. It also keeps White’s latest answer in sharper focus: the UFC is treating McGregor’s next fight as a future conversation, not an active booking.
“Surgery. Prehab. Return to martial arts practice. Go again. Final fight of the contract. Please God!” McGregor wrote in his later recovery update.
The second tear has still not been identified publicly beyond Campbell’s “another tear” line in the press conference exchange. For now, White’s position is straightforward: McGregor needs surgery, physical therapy, medical clearance for hard training, and only then does the UFC restart the conversation about what comes next.
