Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor is facing another significant injury setback as he requires surgery on his right leg, but has already declared his intention to return to the Octagon as he approaches his 38th birthday.
The Irish fighter, who turns 38 on Tuesday, sustained an apparent knee injury just seconds into the first round of his comeback bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on Saturday, leading to a loss.
Despite the immediate blow, McGregor took to Instagram, stating: “Surgery. Prehab. Return to martial arts practice. Go again.” He added, “Final fight of the contract. Praise God!”
In a social media post after the fight, McGregor expressed his profound frustration, insisting he was fully fit beforehand.
“My head gasket is gone. Destroyed,” he wrote. “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.”
With one fight remaining on his UFC contract, McGregor’s future remains uncertain. However, the organisation appears supportive of another comeback, with CEO Dana White noting considerable interest in Saturday’s fight and revealing he had “five ideas” for McGregor’s next opponent had he defeated Holloway.
This latest injury follows a torn ACL in 2013, sustained in his first encounter with Holloway, and a broken leg suffered during his 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, highlighting a career marked by both spectacular highs and challenging physical setbacks.
McGregor is a former two-weight UFC champion, and enjoyed devastating knockout wins over Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez at the peak of his power.
However, since beating Alvarez in November 2016, McGregor has only had five UFC fights, and has lost four of them.
This includes a submission defeat by arch-rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, consecutive losses to Poirier in 2021, and then Saturday’s defeat by Holloway when he failed to land a blow before suffering a fight-ending injury.
McGregor’s overall MMA record now stands at 22 wins alongside seven defeats from his 29 fights.
