Conor McGregor has broken his silence on what happened at UFC
329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

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Conor
McGregor assures fans that he was not injured heading into his
return to action in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

McGregor (22-7) returned after a five-year hiatus against Max
Holloway (28-9) at
UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas. The return of the sport's
biggest star couldn't have ended more anticlimactically. McGregor
injured his right knee with the very first kick he threw and could
barely stand thereafter, forcing the referee to call a stop to the
contest, hardly over a minute into the fight.

Conor McGregor says he was healthy before UFC 329 knee
injury

Fans have since speculated as to whether McGregor was already
injured heading into the fight. “Notorious†was also seen stumbling
while taking off his shoes before entering the Octagon. However,
the former two-division UFC champion claims he had no injuries
before the fight.

“I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what
has happened,†McGregor wrote on X. “The talk of me being off while
walking into the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and
confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is
literally staring at me right in front of my face here. I am not
engaging. I will be at church tomorrow. I will overcome this. I
will not be deterred. I will return.â€

In an earlier post, he made it clear he entered the Octagon
injury-free, claiming that he'd been jumping and throwing kicks
throughout his training camp.

“My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries
going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping,
all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This
came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it
as hell.â€

McGregor had repeatedly opened up about his newfound faith in God
heading into UFC 329. The Irishman is now relying on his faith in
the face of adversity.

I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I
cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while
walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and
confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is
literally staring at me right in front of my face…

— Conor
McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA)
July 12, 2026

My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no
injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks,
planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage
before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here.
I can only describe it as hell.

— Conor
McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA)
July 12, 2026

I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.

God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not… pic.twitter.com/TDMPIJYWMW

— Conor
McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA)
July 12, 2026

Don't expect Jon Jones to ever go one-on-one with Oleksandr Usyk unless an unlikely condition is met.

Jones is considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, while Usyk has built his legacy in the boxing world as a future lock for the International Boxing Hall of Fame. “Bones†and Usyk have earned multiple world titles in their respective sports, but could the two ever be standing across each other for a mega fight?

You may not want to hold your breath for it, as Jones was asked by Ring Magazine if a boxing match with Usyk could come to fruition. The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titleholder dismissed such a bout unless it was contested under MMA rules.

“No, not at all,†Jones said. “Usyk is Usyk, man. He's one of the absolute GOATs of heavyweight boxing. I also am aware that he does wrestling, and that wrestling has been a heavy part of his training for many years. It's probably why he's so dominant in the clinch. If he'd like to test his total combat skills, I would oblige him in that, but to handicap myself by only using my hands, that's not the world that I come from.

“Out of all the heavyweight boxers, I do see Usyk having the highest potential in making it competitive. I am no boxer, and I don't really consider Usyk to be a complete fighter. I think the world knows what would happen if we were locked in the same room, and I'll just leave it at that.â€

Jones continues to mull over a possible return to the Octagon. He has given different answers on his fighting future depending on the interview. “Bones†has said that he gets fulfillment simply coaching rising heavyweight and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, but he's also open to a fight offer from the UFC brass.

As for Usyk, he recently stunned boxing fans and pundits by deciding to vacate his heavyweight titles. While Usyk isn't retiring just yet, he relinquished his gold to open the door for other bouts.

Any chance we ever see an MMA fight between Jon Jones and Oleksandr Usyk? Drop your take in the comments below.

Dominick
Cruz believes Conor
McGregor's return to action in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship was motivated by more than
financial gain, suggesting the former two-division champion was
looking for a way to escape the lifestyle that produced his
wealth.

McGregor suffered a knee injury with the opening strike he threw at

UFC 329. The referee called a halt to the bout a little over a
minute in, as “Notorious†was unable to plant both feet firmly
while advancing and repeatedly fell over. This marks the second
McGregor fight in a row that has ended in an anticlimactic leg
injury, as his trilogy bout against Dustin
Poirier back in 2021 resulted in a bone break.

The former UFC champion shares his theory behind McGregor's
comeback attempt

Cruz spoke from experience, having dealt with several major
injuries during his own career.

“We keep saying he doesn’t need to come back because he’s got the
money, but I disagree,†Cruz said on the UFC 329 post-show on
Paramount+. “I think the reason why he was coming back was to save
his own life from the money, from the lifestyle he’s been living. I
think that he’s going to be facing that again.â€

The new Hall of Fame inductee and former bantamweight champion
believes McGregor's mindset will now have to reset to how the
Irishman's approach was before signing on to rematch Max
Holloway.

“God is going to keep putting the same test in front of you until
you choose different. Fighting wasn’t going to pull you out.
Fighting can’t solve everything, and he’s going to learn that
because he’s got to face himself without this thing that really
cures a lot of us,†Cruz added. “I mean, martial arts saved my
life. I truly believe he came back to save his own life, and now
he’s back to where he started before he booked this fight.â€

McGregor has released a statement since his defeat to Holloway,
revealing that after getting surgery for his injury, he will return
to training and commence preparations for the final bout of his UFC
contract.

pic.twitter.com/S5s0UBtqXu

— The MMA Meister (@TheMMAMeister)
July 12, 2026