Conor McGregor believes that ‘dry ice’ was responsible for his torn ACL against Max Holloway at UFC 329.McGregor faced disaster in his comeback fight against Max Holloway earlier this month, his first UFC appearance in five years.McGregor believes there was ulterior motive behind his disastrous UFC 329 injuryGettyHe was forced to quit in the opening round after suffering a brutal knee injury, which left him unable to continue on the canvas.It has been revealed that McGregor suffered a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] and will only return after his surgery.Prior to the bout, the Irishman jad prepared for all injury eventualities, having broken his leg previously against Dustin Poirier in 2021.And he now has suggested that it dry ice [a solid form of carbon dioxide] was responsible for the injury.He wrote: “The white orange and green machine, mosying on back to the office, up the office!.“Sorry I’m late, but the dry ice has the cage floor wet. “It’s a no-contest now chop chop for the champ champ. I’ll see ya’s next year 100%.”Dry ice is often used during the introduction of MMA fights on the canvas floor.He believes it was a contributing factor, although many from the MMA community instead pointed to his missed spinning-kick in the opening round.McGregor has regularly demanded that the result is overturned, seeing his injury as enough for Holloway to not be granted the win.McGregor wants the result overturned, but is likely to have to move on to his final bow next yearGettyBut his public appeals are unlikely and it is another failure to return to the form for the hot-selling superstar.When will McGregor be back?It is widely considered that McGregor is now coming to the end of his time in the sport, after such a successful time in the cage.His sharp decline in form is seeing him struggle to taste victory and return to any top-end level of the rankings.The 38-year-old has confirmed he has only one fight remaining on his contract with Dana White‘s promotion.And he will be out for a year according to UFC president White, another extended lay-off to make a full recovery.Return plans are already being made by McGregor who hopes to fight on the same July weekend next year [International Fight Week 2027].UFC Meta RankingsThe UFC ranking system is ever-evolving and is now more different than ever.Right up until the summer of 2026, the UFC used its official rankings based on media votes.However, as of June 22, 2026, the UFC began transitioning away from the traditional media panel to new AI-based rankings in partnership with Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta.The new rankings will be automatically calculated and updated every Monday following official events.And talkSPORT.com have made it easy for MMA fans to stay up to date with the new system through a full and regularly updated UFC Meta Rankings list, including stars from the heavyweight and lightweight divisions.Options could range from a rematch with Max Holloway, which is deemed the most likely, or a clash with Paddy Pimblett.