Conor McGregor’s longtime coach ‘devastated’ by leg injury at UFC 329: “Doesn’t get any worse than this”

Conor McGregor’s longtime coach has spoken out after his fighter suffered an injury during the UFC 329 main event.

McGregor was hoping to turn back the clock with a vintage performance in his first fight since 2021. The “Notorious” one’s bout five years ago ended when he broke his left leg, and his return concluded with a right leg injury. McGregor went for a jumping kick early in his fight with Max Holloway, but he landed awkwardly on the canvas. It was clear to Holloway and McGregor that something was wrong before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

McGregor’s head coach John Kavanagh spoke on the situation in a post on his Facebook page. The SBG Ireland mentor is still trying to process what transpired this past Saturday.

“Devastated,” Kavanagh wrote. “That opening jump switch kick was drilled daily for months, multiple times in warm up. Never an issue. Knee went when he thru the very first kick. Doesn’t get any worse than this. Looking forward to seeing my family in a few days.”

McGregor will now have another road to recovery ahead of him. UFC CEO Dana White told reporters that he believes the top MMA star blew out his ACL. White noted that UFC doctors also feel that’s the case before McGregor gets a proper diagnosis. If  the “Notorious” one did tear his ACL, then he can be ruled out of another fight in 2026. McGregor previously told Ariel Helwani that his last contracted UFC fight will take place in 2027.

On early Sunday morning, McGregor issued a statement on his social media pages. While he was gutted by the harsh conclusion to UFC 329, he vowed to overcome his latest setback to make the return he envisioned.

If Conor McGregor ever returns, who would you match him up against? Should the Max Holloway fight be rescheduled? Play UFC matchmaker in the comments below.