Conor McGregor's long-awaited UFC return ended in disappointment after the Irishman suffered a knee injury just 69 seconds into his bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
McGregor opened the contest with a pair of high kicks but lost his footing and fell awkwardly. Although he managed to get back up, he appeared unable to continue, prompting referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight.
Holloway was awarded a technical knockout victory, avenging his defeat to McGregor in their first meeting in 2013.
The bout marked McGregor's first UFC appearance since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021. The loss was the seventh of his professional career and his fourth in his last five fights.
Despite the anticlimactic finish, Holloway expressed his desire for a trilogy fight.
“There was so much hype for this. We have to run it back one more time,” Holloway said.
