UFC Head Dana White: McGregor's ACL Torn in Return Fight Loss

Conor McGregor's highly anticipated return to the UFC octagon was cut short early Sunday morning due to a significant knee injury. The Irish star sustained the injury during his main event bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, marking a premature end to his first fight in five years.

The fight was stopped by the referee in the first round at 1:09 after McGregor appeared to injure his knee while attempting a jump kick shortly after the bout began. Social media buzzed with claims that McGregor might have had a pre-existing knee issue before the fight.

However, MMA commentator and fighter Aleksi Nurminen dismissed these claims, stating, "It's quite clear what happened in the situation. I didn't notice anything before he injured himself." Nurminen believes all indications point to the injury occurring at the moment of the jump kick, not before.

UFC President Dana White commented after the fight, "We assume the ACL is torn. The doctors think so too." McGregor himself took to X (formerly Twitter) to deny fighting while injured, describing the injury as completely unexpected and a "hell" he was experiencing. Despite the setback, Nurminen expressed confidence in McGregor's ability to return, saying, "If anyone can do it, it's McGregor."