Conor McGregor targets 2026 return after knee injury against Max Holloway

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Max Holloway speaks to referee Mike Beltran over Conor McGregor (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Conor McGregor is out for revenge against Max Holloway. This past summer, McGregor made his long-awaited return to the octagon, coming back after a five-year hiatus to rematch Holloway in the main event of UFC 329. It was a catastrophe. McGregor blew out his knee while throwing a jumping kick in the opening moments of the fight, leading to a stoppage just 69 seconds into the fight. In the aftermath, much was made of McGregor’s choice to start the fight with such a high-risk, low-reward maneuver, but talking with Robert O’Neill on his MAC Energy YouTube channel, McGregor explained his thinking. “I had the shot. I was landing it perfectly in training,” McGregor said. “My sparring partners were coming forward. It was *wa-bum!* And I just had it in my head, ‘I don’t care when this bell rings. Last time I was in this octagon, the leg snapped in half. I’m gonna run forward and charge and fly across the octagon and crack him in the jaw.’ I didn’t care about surroundings or canvas. I didn’t even look. I was just going, and it was the first time I’d ever done something like that. “Usually I have my weapons in tow, and I’ll go in, and I’ll see, and I’ll say, ‘Right, there’s weapon one, boom.’ That’s how I should have done. [But] I’m out five years; it is what it is. It’s been a tough [time].” Now, McGregor is out for the foreseeable future, with an estimated return next summer. And when he comes back, he’s got a bone to pick with Holloway for how their rematch went. “I’ll tell you what, it wasn’t me that was calling for the finish of the fight,” McGregor said. “It wasn’t me calling to finish it. If I fight you and you look for the ref, ‘Ref! Stop the fight!’ Who stops the fight? Don’t stop! Finish the f*cking fight! You’re the man calling for the fight to be stopped. The fight’s only began. “It’s all good. It’s all good. We do our work, we stay on the track, and we get retribution. … “I yearn for retribution,” McGregor added. “It drives me on. I have this journey. I have this task ahead of me. I have the title of the greatest comeback in sports history.” As far as when that retribution will come, next summer appears to be the timeline. Though McGregor already had successful surgery on his knee, recovery for a repaired ACL can take nearly a year, and based on past experience, “Notorious” has no intention of rushing back. “I’m ahead of the curve,” McGregor said. “Swelling is down. I’m off the crutch two, three weeks. In fact, I was able to get off the crutch a little bit sooner than they had wished. … I’m in a great spot. But the baby needs to gel back together. … “I had this injury 10 years or so ago,” McGregor added. “With the advancements in modern medicine, with the advancements in training methods, my recovery should be faster. I recovered and returned to competition within nine months for my last one. I fought in a show in Dublin, Ireland, knocked the guy out in one round, triumphant return. But really I was still on one leg. Really, I wasn’t fully healed. It takes 9-12. In nine, you’ll get cleared. … “This time, I think I’m going to take that time. So 9-12 gives me ample time.”

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Conor McGregor rips Max Holloway for wanting to stop the fight at UFC 329