'Finished' & 'career over' - is this the end for McGregor?
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- Conor McGregor lasted just 69 seconds against Max Holloway at UFC 329, his first fight since 2021, sustaining a knee injury in the opening seconds for his third successive defeat and leaving him with one win since 2016.
- Paddy Pimblett declared "the changing of the guard" after a 52-second win over Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event, saying he can now be "the new face of MMA."
- McGregor denied entering the bout injured, posting on X: "I had no injury/injuries going into the fight. This came out of nowhere."
- Michael Bisping said if McGregor tore his ACL and needs 18 months out, "the career is over."
- UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev posted on X: "Conor beat Conor, congrats Max."
- McGregor has one fight remaining on his UFC contract, and the Holloway bout was a 13-year welterweight rematch of his 2013 decision win.
Why it matters: With McGregor sitting on one win since 2016 and only one fight remaining on his UFC contract, his third consecutive defeat in 69 seconds makes a genuine end to his headliner run plausible rather than rhetorical — and Pimblett's 52-second co-main win gives the UFC a ready-made successor it can market the moment McGregor walks away.
