UFC 329: Conor McGregor injured in return against Max Holloway as Paddy Pimblett beats Benoit Saint Denis within a minute

Conor McGregor's return fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 ended prematurely due to a knee injury just over a minute into the first round on Saturday night.

Fighting for the first time in more than five years, McGregor flew across the ring with a flying left roundhouse kick when the match started and landed awkwardly on his right knee at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

After attempting to kick and strike Holloway (28-9-0) twice more, it was clear McGregor (22-7-0) could not finish the scheduled five-round welterweight bout and the fight was stopped after just 69 seconds.

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"My head gasket is gone. Destroyed," McGregor said on social media.

"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."

Speaking after the fight, UFC president Dana White said: "Five years off in this sport is rough.

"We're assuming a blown ACL. That's what I assumed when I saw it, and that's what the doctors think, too."

Asked if there may have been an existing injury, White said there were no signs of it at Friday's ceremonial weigh-in. White added that with the millions of social-media views of McGregor rushing Holloway at the weigh-in, someone would have noticed if anyone was injured.

Holloway said he kept telling referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight because it was apparent McGregor was injured, but the former champion kept saying, "Fight!"

"During the fight, you could see his demeanour change," Holloway said. "When I saw him hurt, I said, 'Call this, he's hurt.'

"I just hope for a speedy recovery."

The Irishman was back in the octagon in front of a sold-out crowd exactly five years and a day after his last fight against Dustin Poirier where he suffered a broken leg. McGregor has also been involved in a series of controversies.

In July 2025, McGregor lost his appeal against a civil jury finding in favour of Dublin woman Nikita Hand, who had accused him of rape.

The appeal was dismissed on all five grounds that the case was taken. The jury found McGregor, who told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand, civilly liable for assault.

Last year, McGregor accepted an 18-month ban after missing three drugs tests within a 12-month period in 2024. The ban ended in March allowing him to top the bill.

The fight itself, though, lasted little more than a minute as Holloway took the victory due to the stoppage, to somewhat avenge his defeat against the same fighter 13 years ago.

"You guys are lucky because there is going to be a Holloway v McGregor 3 now," Holloway said.

"It is what it is. I'll sit down with the UFC. There was so much hype for that. We have to run it back one more time. We need one more.

"I was looking forward to this. I was working hard to get to 170lb and fight this guy. For it to end like this, it sucks."

Pimblett takes less than a minute to submit BSD

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Beneath McGregor on the card, Paddy Pimblett took on a fighter people fancied to beat him, Benoit Saint Denis, and put him to sleep in 52 seconds with a D'Arce choke snatched off a failed takedown, picking up a $100,000 cheque and the Performance of the Night bonus.

Pimblett was written off in some quarters after Justin Gaethje beat him in January's interim lightweight title fight, his first defeat in the UFC.

Since then Gaethje has gone on to shock everyone when he beat Ilia Topuria at the White House to become the lightweight champion last month.

Now Pimblett has come back and produced the cleanest win of his career against the best opponent he has faced outside the champion, and he wasted no time reminding everyone of it.

"Light work," Pimblett said with a smile at the post-fight press conference. "Everyone cancelled me out because I got beat by Gaethje. But what now?"