Max Holloway defeated Conor McGregor by TKO due to injury in the first round at UFC 329 on July 11. The welterweight main event at T-Mobile Arena ended at the 1:09 mark after McGregor suffered a knee injury.
McGregor made his return to the Octagon after more than five years away. His last fight was in 2021 against Dustin Poirier, when he broke his leg. This bout marked his first appearance since that injury. It was also a rematch from their 2013 meeting at featherweight, where McGregor won by unanimous decision.
The fight started with McGregor throwing a kick. He immediately lost his balance and fell to the canvas. Holloway moved in and landed some ground strikes before stepping back. McGregor got up but buckled again after throwing a punch. The referee waved off the contest as McGregor could not continue due to the knee injury.
Replays showed McGregor appeared to injure his knee on the opening kick. Holloway did not press the attack once the issue became clear. After the stoppage, Holloway went over to check on McGregor and asked the crowd to show support for his opponent.
This marked Holloway’s first fight at the welterweight division. The former featherweight champion and BMF titleholder came into the event with recent activity in the sport. McGregor, now 37 years old, had not competed since early 2020 before the long layoff caused by his leg injury.
The quick ending changed the expected pace of the main event. Holloway improved his record with the victory. McGregor’s return fight ended without him landing significant offense.
UFC 329 took place in front of a large crowd in Las Vegas. The card featured several other bouts, but the Holloway-McGregor matchup drew the most attention due to the history between the two fighters and McGregor’s extended time away from competition.
Holloway has now secured a win in his move up in weight class. The result adds to his record of strong performances in recent years. McGregor will need time to recover from the injury before considering any future plans in mixed martial arts.