Conor McGregor is set for surgery following a knee injury that prematurely ended his return fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329. The former two-weight world champion sustained the injury in the opening moments of the fight, landing awkwardly after a jump kick. Despite attempting to continue, McGregor was forced to signal he could not proceed.

McGregor expressed his determination to return, posting on Instagram, "Surgery. Prehab. Return to martial arts practice. Go again." UFC president Dana White believes McGregor likely suffered a blown ACL, noting that there were no visible signs of injury at the weigh-in. McGregor's manager, John Kavanagh, and McGregor himself have stated he had no pre-existing knee injury.

This latest setback adds to a history of injuries and issues that have impacted McGregor's career, including a broken leg five years ago and a cancelled fight with Michael Chandler due to a training injury. He also faced a 18-month ban for "whereabouts failures" related to anti-doping sample collection.