Conor McGregor's return to the Octagon lasted less than 90 seconds

Conor McGregor (left) with Joe Rogan during weigh-ins for UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Conor McGregor's return to the Octagon lasted less than 90 seconds

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Jul 12, 2026 9:02 AM ET

Conor McGregor made his return to the Octagon on Saturday night following a nearly five-year absence, and it could not have possibly gone worse for him.

McGregor lost to Max Holloway by TKO in Round 1 after McGregor appeared to injure himself almost immediately in the fight.

Conor McGregor's return to the Octagon barely lasted a minute

As soon as the fight began, McGregor attempted a jumping kick at Holloway's head, landed awkwardly, fell to the mat, and was unable to do anything after that.

Every time he tried to stand up and deliver any kind of strike, his right leg immediately gave out, resulting in him falling back to the mat, barely able to even defend himself.

It was at that point, after 69 seconds, that the fight was called.

Max Holloway defeats Conor McGregor by TKO in Round 1#UFC329 pic.twitter.com/52BnFWgeh2
— UFC (@ufc) July 12, 2026

This result comes almost five years to the day of his last fight, when he lost in a first-round TKO to Dustin Poirier. That fight ended when McGregor suffered a broken tibia.

McGregor has now fought five times since 2016 and managed to win only one of them, which includes three consecutive losses. At 37, and with what appears to be a second major leg injury prematurely ending a fight, it's hard to imagine McGregor ever returning to relevance as a top-tier MMA fighter.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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