Conor McGregor undergoes surgery for torn ACL following brief comeback
2 sources • 3 min read • Latest: Aug 4, 2026, 6:43 AM
Last updated Aug 4, 2026
Conor McGregor announced he is undergoing surgery for a torn ACL and meniscus after his recent return to the Octagon at UFC 329 against Max Holloway. The fight, held on July 11, 2026, ended prematurely after just 69 seconds due to McGregor's knee injury. This surgery marks the fifth of McGregor's career and will sideline him for approximately one year. He indicated he has one fight remaining on his UFC contract, leading to speculation regarding his future and potential retirement. McGregor remains focused on recovery before considering his next steps in competition or free agency.
- •McGregor's recent fight against Max Holloway ended in 69 seconds.
- •He suffers a torn ACL and meniscus from the injury.
- •Surgery is scheduled after over three weeks of recovery.
- •This will be McGregor's fifth career surgery.
- •He has one fight left on his current UFC contract.
- 6:00 PMMMA Fighting — Conor McGregor undergoes surgery to repair injured knee: ‘I am excellent’
- 6:43 AMYahoo Sports — Conor McGregor Set to Undergo Knee Surgery
- 12:47 AMYahoo Sports — Conor McGregor officially headed for surgery for torn ACL – ‘We got this’
"LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 11: Conor McGregor of Ireland falls after sustaining an injury on a kick in the first around against Max Holloway of the United States in their welterweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images Conor McGregor is on the road to recovery after undergoing successful surgery to repair his damaged knee after the injury derailed his comeback fight at UFC 329. On Wednesday, the former two-division UFC champion offered a brief update on his condition after he had surgery. While the full extent of the damage done was never revealed, McGregor definitely suffered a torn ACL, which typically takes 9 to 12 months of recovery before he could potentially fight again. “Surgery went excellent!” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “I am confident!” McGregor blew out his knee throwing his first strike against Max Holloway in their rematch at UFC 329. The Irish superstar opened the fight with a jumping roundhouse kick and that resulted in McGregor landing awkwardly on his leg. While he tried to continue fighting, McGregor’s knee was just not cooperating and the referee had no choice but to stop the fight just 66 seconds into the opening round. Following a five-year layoff to deal with a broken leg suffered in his previous UFC outing, McGregor’s comeback ended almost as quickly as it started. McGregor has undergone ACL surgery previously when he actually suffered the same injury in his first fight against Holloway back in 2013. On that night, McGregor was able to continue fighting and he ultimately earned a unanimous decision win before undergoing surgery to repair his injured knee. This time the injury occurred on the opposite leg but McGregor is still looking at a lengthy layoff to deal with the recovery. That said, McGregor has vowed to come back within a year while already targeting International Fight Week 2027 for his planned return date. McGregor has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract and thus far he’s made it clear he plans to fulfill that final bout before potentially pursuing opportunities outside the octagon.
"UFC superstar Conor McGregor is set to undergo knee surgery following an in-fight injury suffered last month at UFC 329. Against Max Holloway in the headliner of UFC 329, McGregor tore his ACL, leading to him losing via first-round TKO in just 69 seconds in what was one of the most disappointing UFC fights of […] The post Conor McGregor Set to Undergo Knee Surgery appeared first on HEAVY.
"“The Notorious” is going under the knife. It has been just over three weeks since former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) two-division champion Conor McGregor finally returned to competition against Max Holloway at UFC 329, highly-anticipated comeback lasted just 69 seconds. McGregor injured his knee in “Sin City” and was unable to continue, bringing his long-awaited […]
Sources
External links- MMA FightingAug 5, 2026, 6:00 PMConor McGregor undergoes surgery to repair injured knee: ‘I am excellent’
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 11: Conor McGregor of Ireland falls after sustaining an injury on a kick in the first around against Max Holloway of the United States in their welterweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images Conor McGregor is on the road to recovery after undergoing successful surgery to repair his damaged knee after the injury derailed his comeback fight at UFC 329. On Wednesday, the former two-division UFC champion offered a brief update on his condition after he had surgery. While the full extent of the damage done was never revealed, McGregor definitely suffered a torn ACL, which typically takes 9 to 12 months of recovery before he could potentially fight again. “Surgery went excellent!” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “I am confident!” McGregor blew out his knee throwing his first strike against Max Holloway in their rematch at UFC 329. The Irish superstar opened the fight with a jumping roundhouse kick and that resulted in McGregor landing awkwardly on his leg. While he tried to continue fighting, McGregor’s knee was just not cooperating and the referee had no choice but to stop the fight just 66 seconds into the opening round. Following a five-year layoff to deal with a broken leg suffered in his previous UFC outing, McGregor’s comeback ended almost as quickly as it started. McGregor has undergone ACL surgery previously when he actually suffered the same injury in his first fight against Holloway back in 2013. On that night, McGregor was able to continue fighting and he ultimately earned a unanimous decision win before undergoing surgery to repair his injured knee. This time the injury occurred on the opposite leg but McGregor is still looking at a lengthy layoff to deal with the recovery. That said, McGregor has vowed to come back within a year while already targeting International Fight Week 2027 for his planned return date. McGregor has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract and thus far he’s made it clear he plans to fulfill that final bout before potentially pursuing opportunities outside the octagon.
- Yahoo SportsAug 4, 2026, 6:43 AMConor McGregor Set to Undergo Knee Surgery
UFC superstar Conor McGregor is set to undergo knee surgery following an in-fight injury suffered last month at UFC 329. Against Max Holloway in the headliner of UFC 329, McGregor tore his ACL, leading to him losing via first-round TKO in just 69 seconds in what was one of the most disappointing UFC fights of […] The post Conor McGregor Set to Undergo Knee Surgery appeared first on HEAVY.
- Yahoo SportsAug 4, 2026, 12:47 AMConor McGregor officially headed for surgery for torn ACL – ‘We got this’
“The Notorious” is going under the knife. It has been just over three weeks since former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) two-division champion Conor McGregor finally returned to competition against Max Holloway at UFC 329, highly-anticipated comeback lasted just 69 seconds. McGregor injured his knee in “Sin City” and was unable to continue, bringing his long-awaited […]
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