Conor McGregor broke his silence after the serious injury he suffered in his long-awaited return to the UFC and assured that he arrived in perfect physical condition for the fight against Max Holloway, rejecting any version that pointed to previous problems.
The Irishman fell by technical knockout just 69 seconds after the start of the main event of UFC 329, held in Las Vegas. McGregor injured his right knee while using his leg to execute a roundhouse kick, fell to the canvas several times and forced referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight.
“I was so sharp and so prepared for this fight that I can’t believe what happened,” the former two-division champion wrote on his X account. “To say I wasn’t focused going into the fight is nonsense. I was calm, prepared and confident. I’m shocked by what happened.”
The 37-year-old fighter insisted that he had no discomfort during his preparation.
“I didn’t have any injuries before the fight. I was kicking, weight-bearing and jumping throughout training camp, as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere,” he said.
McGregor described the damage suffered with a mechanical comparison: “The head gasket on my engine has blown. It’s destroyed,” a phrase that has been interpreted as a possible tear of ligaments in his right knee.
The Irishman also confessed the hard time he is going through after a new injury that interrupts his career.
“I’m in a terribly dark moment. I can only describe it as hell,” he said.
Despite the blow, the former champion made it clear that he does not plan to retire and sent a message of hope to his followers.
“I will get through this. Nothing will stop me. I will be back,” he said.
For his part, Max Holloway showed respect towards his rival after the fight and wished him a speedy recovery. The American even opened the door to a future confrontation when McGregor is fully recovered, remembering that the two already faced each other in 2013, with the Irishman winning.
