Holloway reveals McGregor urged him to keep fighting seconds after injuring his knee at UFC 329

Max Holloway has revealed that Conor McGregor urged him to continue fighting even as he lay on the canvas with an injured knee, moments before referee Mike Beltran waved off their UFC 329 main event just over a minute into Round 1 on Saturday night.

McGregor, competing for the first time since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, struggled to find his footing after throwing an opening flying kick and never recovered. With another leg injury visibly hampering the former two-division champion, Beltran intervened to end the contest.

“This is how crazy Conor is: the first time he’s on the ground, I was punching him and he’s like, ‘Fight! Fight!’” Holloway told reporters after the event. “I was like, ‘OK.’ That’s why I backed up, I said, ‘Stand up then, let’s fight.’ He fell back down and then the fight was called.”

Holloway said he had been trying to alert the referee to McGregor’s condition even before the stoppage, partly out of concern for the Irishman’s children, who were seated in the front row. “This guy’s kids are front row, I don’t want to see him take unnecessary damage,” he said. “Shout out to the ref, I was trying to tell the ref sooner.”

Despite the abrupt ending, Holloway came away with a degree of respect for McGregor’s demeanour heading into the bout. In the build-up, McGregor had spoken extensively about a personal transformation, citing religion and a renewed commitment to training after years of legal troubles and erratic public behaviour. Holloway noticed the change but admitted it gave him pause.

“Even with him walking into the octagon, it just didn’t seem like the same Conor,” Holloway said. “He was still there to fight, but I thought he would be a little bit more rowdy, a little bit more crazy. He looked really, really calm — super calm. I knew he was going to attack me with something and it was that kick, so it sucks.”

Holloway used his post-fight interview to float the idea of a trilogy bout with McGregor, though the timeline for any such fight remains uncertain given that the full severity of McGregor’s knee injury has yet to be confirmed. Holloway also indicated he is unlikely to compete again in 2026, suggesting any rematch would be some way off.

“I put in this 170 work,” Holloway said, referencing the welterweight catchweight at which the fight was contested. “We worked our asses off here, especially after turning around so fast after that March fight.”