UFC 329: Max Holloway TKOs Conor McGregor After Knee Injury

Conor McGregor's comeback fight lasted 69 seconds. Max Holloway beat him by TKO at 1:09 of the first round at UFC 329 on Saturday, July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but not the way anyone drew it up. McGregor's right knee gave out on the opening exchange, and a fight 13 years in the making ended before it ever started. Holloway now has his measure of revenge for the 2013 decision loss that remains one of only a handful of blemishes on McGregor's early record.

For the Irishman, back in the Octagon for the first time in years, it was the worst possible return. For bettors who poured money on the comeback, it was a fast and painful loss.

How the Fight Ended

McGregor came out throwing. He launched a jumping scissor kick in the opening seconds, and when he landed you could see the knee buckle, drawing an immediate reaction from the returning star. He tried to fight through it, slipping to the canvas twice while Holloway looked to referee Mike Beltran to ask whether he wanted to step in. The action continued briefly. When the two stood back up, Holloway landed a single kick, McGregor took an unsure step backward, and Beltran waved it off at 1:09.

It was officially ruled a TKO by knee injury. Holloway did not want to avenge his loss to McGregor this way, and said as much afterward, but a win is a win and the former featherweight champion now moves on with a marquee scalp on his record.

The Rest of the UFC 329 Card

The main event undercut a genuinely wild night. Seven of the preliminary bouts ended inside the distance, and the main card kept the finishes coming.

1. Paddy Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint Denis with a D'arce choke at 0:52 of round one in the co-main event, the best performance of his career and a statement in a stacked lightweight division. 2. Mario Bautista beat Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards) in a rematch, attacking the legs to slow the former title challenger. 3. Brandon Royval submitted Lone'er Kavanagh by rear-naked choke at 3:39 of round three in a Fight of the Night contender at flyweight. 4. Bobby "King" Green rallied to stop Terrance McKinney by TKO with one second left in round one, his fourth straight win and third consecutive finish.

Betting Impact

Holloway closed as a heavy favorite at DraftKings, roughly minus-265 to McGregor's plus-215 (line as of July 11). The straight moneyline hit for Holloway backers, but the way it landed scrambled everything else on the board. McGregor drew about 91 percent of the money and 64 percent of the tickets at DraftKings despite being the underdog, so the public took a hard loss on the comeback.

The method and round markets were the real story. A first-round finish cashed for anyone who took Holloway inside the distance or backed the fight to end in round one, both live prices given most models expected a competitive scrap into the middle rounds. McGregor-by-knockout tickets, a popular longshot, were dead on arrival. Anyone holding an over on total rounds lost immediately.

For futures, the injury clouds McGregor's outlook at 37 (he turns 38 this week) and pushes Holloway toward the top of the lightweight conversation. Watch how his next-fight price opens.

What to Watch Next

UFC President Dana White does not like booking fights the morning after an event, but a Holloway rematch with newly crowned lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is the obvious next step and will move markets the moment it is floated. For McGregor, the questions are bigger: the nature of the injury, the recovery timeline, and whether a 38-year-old with this much mileage returns at all. Expect an official diagnosis in the coming days.

Chad AI tracks every fight-night moneyline, method-of-victory and round prop on the UFC daily picks page, the AI sports picks hub and the Chad picks hub. Full official results are on UFC.com.

FAQ

Who won McGregor vs Holloway 2 at UFC 329? Max Holloway won by TKO (knee injury) at 1:09 of the first round. Conor McGregor injured his knee on an opening jumping kick and could not continue.

How did Conor McGregor get hurt at UFC 329? McGregor threw a jumping scissor kick in the opening seconds and his knee buckled on the landing. He slipped to the canvas twice before referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight.

What were the betting odds for UFC 329? Holloway was about a minus-265 favorite with McGregor around plus-215 at DraftKings as of July 11. McGregor drew roughly 91 percent of the handle despite being the underdog.

Who is Max Holloway fighting next? Nothing is official, but a rematch with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is the most likely path after this win. The UFC had not booked it as of Sunday.

When and where was UFC 329? UFC 329 took place Saturday, July 11, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the main card headlined by McGregor vs Holloway 2.

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