The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was packed with nearly 20,000 spectators. According to UFC boss Dana White, the event brought in approximately SEK 242 million in ticket revenue.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway first met in 2013. McGregor won via unanimous decision, despite injuring his ACL early on. For Holloway, it was his first loss in the UFC, while the victory was the start of McGregor's path to two UFC titles.
After a five-year absence from the cage, McGregor's comeback at UFC 329 was a win-or-lose situation that ended in fiasco.
Limped out
After an explosive start with a high roundhouse kick, he landed awkwardly on his right leg and injured it. The fight was over in 69 seconds. McGregor thus lost by technical knockout in the first round, five years after he broke his left tibia against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021.
McGregor limped out of the cage and did not do an interview with commentator Joe Rogan afterward. Instead, Max Holloway attempted to lift his opponent in front of a booing crowd.
Give a round of applause for Conor McGregor, what a total beast. I tried to stop the fight but he wanted to continue. But you're in luck, because now you're going to get Holloway vs. McGregor number 3. Now we're going to make money, Holloway said.
"I understand you want to see a rematch, the fight never really had a chance to get started," Joe Rogan told Holloway.
McGregor commented on the loss at X: "I had no injuries before the fight. I was kicking, landing and jumping throughout training camp, as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I'm in an extremely dark place right now. I can only describe it as hell."
“The New Guy”
At the press conference afterwards, UFC boss Dana White said that the medical team suspects that McGregor has damaged his cruciate ligament.
Liverpool lightweight Paddy Pimblett won the second biggest fight of the event against Benoit Saint-Denis with a D'Arce choke, moving him closer to a title shot. He also commented on McGregor's loss shortly after it happened.
Oh my God, is McGregor done yet? He's finished, the new guy's here. I can be the face of the organization now.
Corrected: An earlier version of the text incorrectly described a choke hold. The correct description should be D'Arce choke, also known as Brabo choke.
