Conor McGregor denies injury before UFC 329 after knee injury ends return
· Yahoo Sports
Conor McGregor has broken his silence on what happened at UFC 329. | đź“·: Getty/UFC
Conor McGregor assures fans that he was not injured heading into his return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
McGregor (22-7) returned after a five-year hiatus against Max Holloway (28-9) at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas. The return of the sport’s biggest star couldn’t have ended more anticlimactically. McGregor injured his right knee with the very first kick he threw and could barely stand thereafter, forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest, hardly over a minute into the fight.
Conor McGregor says he was healthy before UFC 329 knee injury
Fans have since speculated as to whether McGregor was already injured heading into the fight. “Notorious” was also seen stumbling while taking off his shoes before entering the Octagon. However, the former two-division UFC champion claims he had no injuries before the fight.
“I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened,” McGregor wrote on X. “The talk of me being off while walking into the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face here. I am not engaging. I will be at church tomorrow. I will overcome this. I will not be deterred. I will return.”
In an earlier post, he made it clear he entered the Octagon injury-free, claiming that he’d been jumping and throwing kicks throughout his training camp.
“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.”
McGregor had repeatedly opened up about his newfound faith in God heading into UFC 329. The Irishman is now relying on his faith in the face of adversity.
I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face…— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026
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
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not… pic.twitter.com/TDMPIJYWMW— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026
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