What a comeback for McGregor: Notorious injured after just one minute of fighting

Conor McGregor's long-awaited return to the UFC ended in the worst possible fashion, as the Irish superstar suffered a devastating and bizarre knee injury just moments into the night's main event against Max Holloway.

McGregor was fighting inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the first time since 2021, when he suffered back-to-back defeats to Dustin Poirier, the second ending with the horrific fracture of his left leg at the very same venue. In a cruel twist of fate, octagon once again proved to be cursed for the former two-division champion.

Only seconds after the opening bell at UFC 329, McGregor threw a spectacular head kick, but as he landed, his left knee appeared to give way completely. Clearly injured, he collapsed to the canvas as Holloway moved forward, prompting the referee to wave off the fight immediately.

As the stunned Irishman made his way out of the arena, he was met with a chorus of boos from the Las Vegas crowd, despite Holloway urging fans to show respect for one of the sport's biggest legends.

The footage quickly sparked conspiracy theories online. Slow-motion replays appeared to show McGregor's left leg—the same one he broke against Poirier five years earlier—briefly buckle during his walk to the octagon, leading some fans to speculate that he entered the cage carrying an injury.

However, legendary commentators Daniel Cormier, a former two-division UFC champion, and Joe Rogan suggested that the 37-year-old most likely tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) when he landed awkwardly after throwing his opening kick, leaving him unable to continue.

If those fears are confirmed, McGregor could be sidelined for at least a year, casting serious doubt over whether he will ever compete again.

A disappointed Holloway, who moved up to welterweight for the bout, said he hoped the fans would one day get the fight they had been waiting for.

"We've got to run this back. I was so excited for this fight. I worked my tail off to get up to 170 pounds and share the Octagon with this man. It's heartbreaking that it ended like this."

This is merely the latest setback in McGregor's turbulent comeback attempts. Two years ago, his scheduled return against Michael Chandler was cancelled after he broke a toe just two weeks before the fight.

All of this comes while McGregor continues to deal with major legal troubles outside the cage. Two years ago, he was found liable for rape in a civil court case, and his recent appeal against that ruling has now been officially rejected.