Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor officially confirmed on August 7, 2026, that he successfully underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus suffered during his main event bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The Irish superstar sustained a severe knee injury just 69 seconds into the opening round of his rematch against BMF champion Max Holloway at the T-Mobile Arena, causing the referee to halt the contest after McGregor landed awkwardly from a jumping kick.
Surgery done.
Knee repaired.
The doubters can keep talking.
I didn’t run from the pain.
I walked straight into it.
Now the real work begins.
Comeback season starts now.
No shortcuts. No excuses.
Just the will to rise again. pic.twitter.com/Oq77VDX3IJ— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 7, 2026
How Did The Knee Injury Occur During The UFC 329 Main Event?
The injury occurred in the opening moments of McGregor’s first UFC bout in five years, cutting short his long-awaited return to mixed martial arts. Attempting a jumping roundhouse kick in the first minute of round one, McGregor landed awkwardly on his right leg, immediately tearing his ACL and damaging his meniscus. Although the Irish fighter attempted to remain upright and push through the physical joint failure, his knee gave out multiple times on the canvas. Referee Mike Beltran stepped in at the 1:09 mark to wave off the fight, officially awarding Max Holloway a technical knockout victory due to injury.
What Did Conor McGregor Say Following Successful Knee Operation?
In a direct message shared across his digital platforms, McGregor confirmed the completion of the procedure while addressing critics who questioned his fighting future. The former champion declared that his surgery was complete and his knee was repaired, writing that the doubters could keep talking because he did not run from the pain and walked straight into it. McGregor added that the real work begins now and declared that comeback season starts now with no shortcuts, no excuses, and just the will to rise again.
What Is The Recovery Timeline And Future Contract Status For Conor McGregor?
Medical specialists estimate that McGregor will require between nine and 12 months of intensive physical rehabilitation before returning to full-contact martial arts training. The surgery marks the fifth major operation of McGregor’s combat sports career, following previous procedures for a torn ACL in 2013 and a fractured tibia sustained against Dustin Poirier in 2021. With one fight remaining on his current UFC promotional contract, the 38-year-old fighter indicated that he targets a return to the cage during International Fight Week in 2027 to fulfill his contract obligations.
