UFC CEO Dana White got a bit defensive after accusations surfaced on Saturday night that star fighter Conor McGregor, who was making his return to the octagon after a five-year absence, had been injured prior to his fight with Max Holloway to headline UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
McGregor lost to Holloway via TKO 69 seconds into the first round of Saturday’s fight. Subsequent reports indicated that the Irishman had injured his knee on the first kick of the fight, and was unable to continue afterwards.
Following the card, White seemed to have finished up his post-event press conference with reporters, but the UFC CEO oddly returned to the microphone to offer a bizarre defense of McGregor’s health based on the number of people who had watched a clip of McGregor prior to the fight on social media.
“So, we were talking about the guy over here earlier asking about if there had been a pre-injury. Just on my accounts, the faceoff that day is at 80 million views. So if there was a preexisting injury, someone would’ve noticed it,” White claimed. “If he was limping, put his shoes on, he ran right at him. I don’t think there was [an injury]. Anything is possible, but he sure didn’t look like it. And for 80 million just on my accounts, that number’s gotta be massive, and no one’s noticed anything. So, there ya go.”
For the CEO of an MMA outfit to claim with any authority that a fighter was or was not injured based on how many people had watched a specific video clip on social media is nothing short of unconventional. But unconventional has never stopped White in the past.
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Jake Paul wasted little time weighing in on Conor McGregor‘s disastrous UFC comeback. Within hours of UFC 329 ending, the YouTuber-turned-boxer posted multiple videos parodying the injury that forced McGregor’s fight against Max Holloway to be stopped after just 69 seconds.
Jake Paul Initially Mocked McGregor’s Injury
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In one clip shared to X, Paul appeared to recreate the moment McGregor’s knee gave out by kicking his leg twice before grabbing at it, screaming in exaggerated pain, and falling backward into a swimming pool. He captioned the video, “UFC highlights from tonight.”
Paul followed up with a similar video on Instagram, writing, “Recap for those who didn’t watch,” while once again mimicking McGregor’s awkward collapse before tumbling into the water. The videos quickly gained attention online as fans debated whether Paul had crossed a line by mocking a fighter who had potentially suffered a serious injury.
Despite the trolling, Paul later appeared to soften his stance. In a separate post on X, the boxer offered a much more sympathetic message directed toward McGregor and his family. “Prayers for you and your family,” Paul wrote.
The message stood in stark contrast to the videos he had posted earlier and differed significantly from the reaction of his brother, Logan Paul. While Jake eventually expressed support for the former UFC champion, Logan continued criticizing McGregor after revealing he had won $30,000 betting on Max Holloway.
The elder Paul brother called McGregor’s performance “pathetic” and even used the moment to challenge him to a boxing match, prompting backlash from many fans who accused him of celebrating another athlete’s injury.
McGregor Vows To Return Despite Latest Setback
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The injury marked another heartbreaking chapter in McGregor’s comeback attempt. The former two-division UFC champion had not competed since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, making UFC 329 one of the most anticipated fights of his career. After his knee buckled during an exchange with Holloway, referee Mike Beltran waved off the fight and awarded Holloway a TKO victory.
UFC President Dana White later revealed doctors believe McGregor may have suffered a torn ACL. “My head gasket is gone,” McGregor wrote on X while addressing fans after the fight. “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.”
Although clearly devastated by the result, McGregor insisted his fighting career is far from over. “I will overcome this,” he wrote. “I will not be deterred. I will return.”
Max Holloway Joked About McGregor’s Injury But Praised His Toughness
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Max Holloway couldn’t resist taking a playful jab at Conor McGregor after the shocking ending to UFC 329.
Speaking to reporters following his victory, Holloway joked that he may have been responsible for McGregor’s knee giving out during the opening exchanges. “I had him weak in the knees, I guess,” Holloway said with a smile.
Despite the joke, Holloway admitted the ending wasn’t how he envisioned the long-awaited showdown concluding. “We have to run it back one more time for the boys,” Holloway said. “I worked my a– off to get to 170 pounds for this fight, and to see it end like this, it sucks.”
Holloway also revealed what was said between the two fighters moments after McGregor’s knee buckled. According to the former featherweight champion, McGregor initially refused to quit despite clearly being injured.
“The first time he’s on the ground, I was punching him and he’s like, ‘Fight! Fight!'” Holloway recalled. “I was like, ‘OK.’ That’s why I backed up. I said, ‘Stand up then, let’s fight.’ He fell back down and then the fight was called.”
Conor McGregor Had Promised Fans A Different Version Of Himself
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The disappointing ending came after months of McGregor insisting fans would see a different version of him inside and outside the Octagon.
In numerous interviews leading up to UFC 329, the former two-division champion spoke openly about recommitting himself to training, embracing his faith, and focusing on what he described as a more disciplined lifestyle.
Instead, his comeback lasted just 69 seconds before a devastating knee injury brought the fight to an abrupt end, leaving McGregor facing yet another lengthy recovery period and raising fresh questions about his future in combat sports.
UFC 329 provided an exciting night of fights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, but the event came to an unfortunate end when Conor McGregor suffered a knee injury to prematurely end his highly anticipated comeback to the Octagon.
McGregor rushed Max Holloway seconds into the fight and threw a leaping kick, before coming up limp after an awkward landing. From there, the former two-division champ struggled to keep his footing and the fight was ultimately called off by referee Mike Beltran just over a minute into the bout.
A video of McGregor appearing to lose his footing while taking off his shoes before entering the Octagon sparked the theory, and the UFC answered by sharing their own video of McGregor’s pre-fight warm-up. In that video, McGregor is seens warming up by throwing kicks similar to what he opened up his bout against Holloway with, and showing no signs of having a compromised knee.
Will that be enough to quiet the conspiracies? Probably not, despite video from the actual fight showing McGregor’s knee buckle from an awkward landing. It won’t be until an official diagnosis is confirmed that we will learn more about where everything went wrong.
“My head gasket is gone,” McGregor wrote on X. “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.
“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 here. I am not engaging. I will be at church tomorrow.”
Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor (left) attempts to get up after falling against Max Holloway during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
As McGregor now prepares to recover from his latest leg injury, we’ll have to wait and see whether this is the last we have seen of the former two-division champion inside of the cage.
Holloway, meanwhile, will now have to decide whether he wants to wait for a potential McGregor trilogy fight in 2027, or whether he will make another run at UFC gold.
MMA legend Conor McGregor is making his return to the Octagon in UFC 329 on Saturday night against Max Holloway and his impact is already being felt before the event begins.
UFC president and CEO Dana White was a guest on ESPN’s SportsCenter and revealed that UFC 329 has brought in the biggest gate in the company’s history.
The previous record was $22 million, which happened at UFC 306 at The Sphere. For UFC 329, the gate is $25 million.
“We’ll see how this fight plays out on Saturday, but the Conor McGregor effect is huge,” White revealed. “Our biggest gate ever was The Sphere, 22 million. This gate beat it at 25 million, so it’s the biggest gate in UFC history for his return. The city is buzzing.”
When White announced the historic gate at a pre-fight press conference, McGregor made sure to thank fans for their support.
“Thank you to the fans. Thank you to our fans,” McGregor said.
The historic hype for UFC 329 comes as zero surprise.
McGregor is one of the all-time greats and one of the most popular fighters to ever step into the Octagon, so he’s a huge draw in and of himself.
But he also hasn’t fought in the UFC in five years, so that only adds to the anticipation for his rematch with Holloway, who McGregor defeated via unanimous decision in 2013.
This won’t be the last time we see McGregor in the Octagon, as the 37-year-old will fight at least once more after Saturday night.
Conor McGregor’s illustrious UFC career
Jul 10, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor (left) with Joe Rogan during weigh ins for UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
McGregor sports a 22-6 career record, although four of those losses have come in his last seven fights. He has lost each of his last two and three of his last four.
Prior to his run of losses over the last decade, McGregor, who is one of the greatest knockout artists in the sport’s history, was unstoppable, winning a whopping 15 matches in a row before Nate Diaz ended his streak in 2016.
McGregor, who has faced no shortage of controversy outside of the Octagon, has held titles in two different weight classes, including featherweight and lightweight, and he was the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes at the same time.
When you talk about the true legends of the sport, McGregor is right up there with the best of them.
UFC 329 fight card
Jul 10, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor (left) faces off with Max Holloway during weigh ins for UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
While McGregor-Holloway 2 is the most anticipated fight for UFC 329, there are a lot of intriguing bouts on the card.
Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista Lone’er Kavanagh vs. Brandon Royval King Green vs. Terrance McKinney
Prelims Card
Cesar Almeida vs. Damian Pinas Ryan Gandra vs. Zach Reese Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
Early Prelims Card
Kai Kamaka vs. Luke Riley Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov Wang Cong vs. Tracy Cortez Farid Basharat vs. John Garza Cody Durden vs. Alessandro Costa
The UFC 329 early prelims and later prelims will begin at 5 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET, respectively, and the main card starts at 9 p.m. ET (fight card subject to change).
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