Conor McGregor lands awkwardly after trying to kick Max Holloway at the start of their welterweight fight during UFC 329 Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)Irish star Conor McGregor‘s much anticipated return to the Octagon lasted just over a minute on Saturday after the 37-year-old blew out his knee against Max Holloway. The injury forced the fighter, who had not fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, to retire hurt.“I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face here. I am not engaging. I will be at church tomorrow. I will overcome this. I will not be deterred. I will return,” McGregor posted on X.The former two-weight world champion McGregor attempted a flying kick to start the opening round but landed awkwardly and immediately looked in trouble.I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face…— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 12, 2026He tried to fight on for a few seconds but looked towards the referee to signal he could not continue.Former featherweight champ Holloway said he would discuss the possibility of staging another fight with McGregor when the Irishman recovers.“It is what it is, I’m going to sit down with the UFC,” he added. “(There was) so much hype for that right there. We’ve got to run it back one more time. One more time for the boys.”Saturday’s bout was the second between the pair, with McGregor winning by unanimous decision in 2013.Injuries and issues away from the sport have derailed McGregor’s career.Story continues below this adAfter breaking his leg against Poirier five years ago, the 37-year-old was slated to meet Michael Chandler in June 2024 but that was cancelled after McGregor suffered a broken toe in training.Later that year a jury in an Irish civil court found him liable for the rape of Nikita Hand in 2018.In October 2025, he accepted an 18-month ban for “whereabouts failures” after he missed three attempts by Combat Sports Anti-Doping to collect biological samples from him in 2024. The ban was backdated and expired in March.In the co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Britain’s Paddy Pimblett also needed less than a minute to secure victory, choking out Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis in their lightweight bout.(With agency inputs)