McGregor demands UFC 329 loss to Holloway be ruled a no-contest after knee injury

Conor McGregor is pushing for his TKO loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 to be officially reclassified as a no-contest, arguing that a knee injury sustained in the fight’s opening exchange rendered the result invalid.

McGregor made his long-awaited return to the octagon last weekend after a five-year absence, but the comeback unravelled almost immediately. Attempting a jumping switch kick early in the first round, he landed awkwardly and injured his knee. He attempted to fight on, but after his knee buckled on him twice, the referee waved off the contest — handing Holloway a TKO victory in just over a minute of action.

On Wednesday, McGregor posted to social media to say he is awaiting the results of medical tests on the injury, and used the platform to formally call for the result to be changed to a no-contest.

The bid faces a steep uphill climb. A comparable case arose last year when Alexandre Pantoja suffered an arm injury in the opening moments of his flyweight title defence against Joshua Van — fans and observers called for a similar ruling then, and the request was rejected. Athletic commissions have historically been reluctant to overturn results on the basis of in-fight injuries, particularly when the fighter continued competing after sustaining them.

For McGregor, the outcome is a second consecutive defeat and, in all likelihood, another extended spell on the sidelines while he recovers. The nature and severity of the knee injury has not yet been confirmed.

Should he return to competition, a trilogy bout with Holloway — who now leads their series two wins to one — appears the most probable next step.