Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the octagon concluded with a defeat to Max Holloway. The fight, which marked McGregor’s first appearance in five years, ended in just 69 seconds. The Irishman sustained a knee injury in the opening moments of the bout, leading the referee to stop the fight.
This rematch between McGregor and Holloway took place at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. Their previous encounter nearly 13 years ago at UFC Fight Night saw McGregor secure a unanimous decision victory over Holloway when they competed as featherweights. For this recent fight, both athletes stepped into the octagon as welterweights.
McGregor has had a challenging period in his career, having won only one of his last four fights and securing just two victories in the past decade. His last fight before this return was in July 2021, when he suffered a leg injury in a loss to Dustin Poirier.
Pimblett’s Quick Victory and Tributes
Earlier in the event, Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett achieved a swift victory, beating Benoit Saint-Denis in just 52 seconds during the co-main event. Following his win, Pimblett, a known Liverpool supporter, paid tribute to former Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, both of whom passed away in a car crash over a year ago.
In his post-fight interview, Pimblett encouraged Liverpool fans present at the T-Mobile Arena to join in a chant traditionally sung for the Portugal international. Pimblett expressed confidence in his performance, stating, “Sub of the year! I knew he was out. I had to say to the ref ‘he’s not conscious’ and he had to check him. I told everyone all week, try to grab my legs and I will choke him unconscious.”
He further added, “I’m like a spider. When I’ve got hold of you, you don’t get out and it’s as simple as that. Everyone counted me out. Everyone said I was finished because I lost to Gaethje but what now? Am I finished? Who wants it next? I’ll beat Ilia [Topuria] up, I’ll rematch Justin [Gaethje], I’ll fight Conor [McGregor] or Max [Holloway] next. Give me everyone and I’ll punch their head in.”
McGregor’s Injury and Holloway’s Reaction
UFC commentator Joe Rogan described McGregor’s injury, noting, “When you throw a jumping roundhouse kick, you put so much pressure on that knee if you don’t land in a good way. He landed with his knee in the worst position. He blew his ACL out with the very first movement he did.” Rogan further observed McGregor buckling and wincing in pain after attempting a second kick.
Retired two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier commented on McGregor’s approach, suggesting, “It’s an energy that McGregor hadn’t experienced in such a long time and he wanted to start fast and do something, and look what happened. You can almost see the knee tear.”
Despite the abrupt end to the fight, Max Holloway acknowledged his opponent. Speaking after his victory, Holloway stated, “Let’s give it up for Connor [McGregor], what an absolute animal. You guys are lucky because there is going to be a Holloway v McGregor three now. Let’s get that money.” He added, “It is what it is. I’ll sit down with the UFC. There was so much hype for that. We have to run it back one more time. We need one more. I was looking forward to this. I was working hard to get to 170 [lbs] and fight this guy. For it to end like this, it sucks.”
Predictions Leading Up to the Fight
Ahead of the event, various figures in the MMA world offered their predictions for the McGregor vs Holloway rematch. UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall predicted a McGregor win with a round one knockout, believing McGregor could land a significant left punch.
Conversely, former British UFC champion Michael Bisping favoured Holloway, suggesting that while McGregor would start aggressively, Holloway would survive the first round and make the fight difficult for McGregor. Paddy Pimblett offered a 50/50 prediction, noting that if Conor caught Max early, he could knock him out, but if the fight extended past the second round, Max would likely finish or win by decision.
Other predictions included Demetrious Johnson, Paul Felder, Benoit Saint-Denis, Robert Whittaker, Cory Sandhagen, and Mario Bautista all predicting a Holloway victory. Dricus du Plessis and Mason Jones, however, backed McGregor. Lone’er Kavanagh remained neutral, while Terrance McKinney and Bobby Green also gave 50/50 predictions for the outcome of the fight.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Dominic Hayes is the Sports News Writer at NewsGB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with five years of reporting experience. He started on a north-east sports desk. He holds a degree in Journalism from Teesside University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Middlesbrough, he follows pro golf and amateur boxing. “Fast and accurate is the only standard worth keeping.”
