McGregor denies entering UFC 329 injured. Conor McGregor has firmly rejected claims that he entered UFC 329 carrying an injury, insisting he was in peak condition before suffering the devastating knee injury that ended his comeback against Max Holloway after just 69 seconds.
The former two-division UFC champion addressed the speculation in a social media statement, calling reports that he was already injured before the fight “complete nonsense.” McGregor explained that he had completed a full training camp without any issues and was throwing kicks, planting, and jumping throughout camp and even during his warm-up backstage. He maintained that the injury occurred unexpectedly during the fight.
More nonsense,” McGregor said on Twitter. “I had zero issue. The taking off of my shoe at octagon side, a sweaty foot, without a sock on, pulling off the shoe with the ball of my free foot. It was a brief disbalance. If even. “I was primed. Fit. Healthy. My engine, my oxygen, my blood, my hr, was never in better condition. Next time I’ll give a little scream at the camera so the illusion of something else is there.”
“The first fight was midway thru the second round and we were positioned on the canvas where there was no weight bearing necessary,” McGregor explained. “It was also the left leg which is my back leg in fighting stance. “When you strike you move onto your lead leg so the effect was less. I was able to strike sufficiently and enter to a takedown. This current one was my lead leg. The right leg. Every movement was effected. It was also not me who was calling for the fight to be waved.”
Despite the heartbreaking outcome, McGregor revealed that he has no interest in ending his UFC career on such a disappointing note. Instead, he said his ideal final fight would be a trilogy bout with Max Holloway once he has fully recovered. The Irish superstar believes the abrupt ending denied both fighters and the fans the opportunity to settle their rivalry inside the Octagon. “It has to be Holloway,” McGregor said.
Although there is no timetable for his return, McGregor made it clear that retirement is not currently on his mind. His immediate priority is recovering from the knee injury, after which he hopes to complete his UFC career on his own terms. Whether that opportunity comes against Holloway or another opponent remains to be seen, but McGregor’s latest comments suggest that he is determined not to let UFC 329 be the final chapter of his storied career. For now, the former champion remains focused on rehabilitation while continuing to dismiss any suggestion that he entered one of the biggest fights of his career anything less than fully fit.
