Conor McGregor's highly anticipated return to the octagon at UFC 329 blew up in just 69 seconds, and now his coach, John Kavanagh, is jumping straight into the fray to shut down all the talk about a pre-existing knee injury. Kavanagh took to Facebook, telling everyone that McGregor's right knee was "never an issue" leading up to the fight with Max Holloway. Talk about a brutal blow for "The Notorious One," and it looks like the speculation is already wild.
That "Opening Jump Switch Kick" Was Drilled Daily
Kavanagh's post was pretty clear, saying he was "Devastated" by the whole thing. He went on to explain that the "opening jump switch kick" that led to the injury was drilled relentlessly. We're talking daily for months, multiple times in warmup, and it was "never an issue" before the bout. But then, bang, the knee went out on the very first kick. It truly doesn't get any worse than that. McGregor slipped while trying to land a high knee on Holloway right at the start of the fight, couldn't get his footing back, and was totally unable to defend himself. The referee had to stop the fight after an unbelievably short 69 seconds. UFC president Dana White later told reporters that it's likely a "blown ACL" for McGregor, which is just gut-wrenching news for any fighter.A Nightmarish Return After Years Away
Given how ridiculously fast the injury happened, everyone immediately started speculating that McGregor was hurt going into the fight and just toughed it out anyway. But that's a rumor several key people have already denied, including McGregor himself and Dana White, who even came back to the podium after his post-show press conference just to clarify there was no pre-existing injury. This whole thing was a massively anticlimactic result for what was arguably the most-anticipated UFC event of the year, marking McGregor's first fight back since 2021. What makes it even tougher to swallow is this is his second consecutive bout ending with a major leg injury; remember, his fight with Dustin Poirier was stopped in the first round when he broke his left tibia. McGregor has now lost three straight fights dating back to 2021, with his last win all the way back in January 2020 against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. It's a tough pill to swallow for McGregor fans. With a likely "blown ACL" on the table, it's going to be a long road to recovery, and the stakes for his career could not be higher. We'll be watching to see what the future holds for a fighter who's now faced back-to-back devastating leg injuries.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.