McGregor plans knee surgery to complete final fight on UFC contract after 69-second exit

Conor McGregor has confirmed he will undergo knee surgery before attempting one last fight under his current UFC contract, after his long-awaited comeback ended in just 69 seconds at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.

McGregor (22-7) had been out of action since 2021 before stepping back into the Octagon for a rematch against Max Holloway. The fight was stopped by the referee after McGregor injured his knee on the very first kick he threw, leaving him barely able to stand. The abrupt ending reignited questions about whether the former two-division champion would ever compete again.

Despite the severity of the setback and widespread speculation that his vast wealth would make retirement an easy choice, McGregor has pushed back on any suggestion he is done. In a post on Instagram, he laid out a clear four-step plan: “Surgery. Prehab. Return to martial arts practice. Go again. Final fight of the contract. Please God!”

The 36-year-old Dubliner also used the post to reflect on his faith, writing at length about his religious convictions and his determination not to be defined by the circumstances of his injury. “I am not a victim of my circumstances, I overcome them,” he wrote, adding that he considers himself to be “walking in divine health” and living “under supernatural protection.”

Whether McGregor can return to elite-level competition after yet another serious knee injury remains an open question. He previously suffered a broken tibia at UFC 264 in July 2021, which kept him sidelined for more than three years before the Holloway bout. The nature and full extent of the latest knee injury have not been formally disclosed.

For now, McGregor’s stated intention is to see out his UFC contract with one final appearance in the Octagon — a fight that, given his profile, would still rank among the most commercially significant bouts the promotion could stage.