Conor McGregor is in the process of healing after his brief return to the UFC ended prematurely. After a five-year hiatus, McGregor faced Max Holloway on July 11. He began the fight with aggression, initiating a running kick followed by a head kick. Unfortunately, he slipped during these moves, revealing a knee injury.
Despite his determination to continue, McGregor found himself reaching for his right leg again just two minutes into the bout. Referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight only 69 seconds in, due to a torn ACL.
McGregor’s Recovery and Motivation
Post-surgery, McGregor shared a video on social media, confident about his recovery. “What’s up, folks? The Mac is back. My knee is repaired, surgery was a success, and I’m on the recovery road. That should tell you all you need to know about my mindset,” he stated.
He cited motivation from past fighters like Dominick Cruz and Georges St. Pierre, as well as athletes Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson, who have successfully returned from similar ACL injuries.
“My mindset is unstoppable, unbreakable. Thank you God. Thank you so much God,” McGregor expressed in his video.
A Commitment to Return
McGregor pledged to return to the octagon: “We’ll be back… In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. We’ll be back. Let’s go.”
Following the fight, McGregor voiced his frustration: “I had no injury coming into the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell,” he revealed on social media.
McGregor’s match against Holloway marked his first since a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021 due to a severe leg injury. He has secured only one victory since 2020.