'He walked in with zero injury': McGregor's coach shuts down the conspiracy theory… and reveals when he could return
Half the internet thinks McGregor was already hurt before fighting Holloway. John Kavanagh flatly denies it, explains how his knee rehab is going and leaves the door open to one last fight in 2027.
By Equipo La Jaula Props · · 1 min read
Photos: Andrius Petrucenia, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cpl. Samantha Sanchez, U.S. Marine Corps, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
Conor McGregor returned to the cage on July 11, 2026, at UFC 329, five years after breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier. His comeback against Max Holloway lasted 69 seconds: landing from a jumping kick, his right knee gave way and referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight as soon as it was clear he couldn't put weight on the leg. TKO loss.
The theory that went viral
Since then, a theory has spread online: that McGregor was already injured going into the fight and fought anyway. A few days after the bout, the Irishman himself fueled the controversy by asking for the result to be changed to a no contest and for bets to be refunded. The request went nowhere: the injury happened with the fight already underway and the official result remains a Holloway win.
Kavanagh: 'Zero injury'
His longtime coach, John Kavanagh, flatly denied it on Ariel Helwani's show: McGregor "walked in with no injury. Zero injury." According to Kavanagh, he had done that same movement in at least 50 sparring sessions before the fight and nothing suggested what was coming. "It was obvious when he stood up that something had gone terribly wrong."
How the recovery is going
- The injury: a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, according to reports.
- McGregor is in rehab and, according to Kavanagh, "looks pretty good" and is moving well.
- He won't return to real MMA training until 2027. Kavanagh even joked about talking about it again "next summer".
Will he fight again?
Kavanagh isn't ruling it out: "I just don't feel like he's done with competition just yet." At 38, McGregor has one fight left on his UFC contract, and everything suggests he wants to fulfill it before thinking about boxing or other projects. According to some outlets, he has mentioned International Fight Week 2027 as a possible date, even for a Holloway rematch. For Kavanagh, it will come down to "where the fire is".
Frequently asked questions
What happened to McGregor against Holloway?
At UFC 329 on July 11, 2026, he injured his right knee landing from a jumping kick. The referee stopped the fight at 69 seconds and Holloway won by TKO.
Was McGregor injured before the fight?
His coach, John Kavanagh, denies it: he says he "walked in with no injury" and had done that movement in at least 50 sparring sessions.
What injury does McGregor have?
According to reports, a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee.
When will McGregor fight again?
There's no date. Kavanagh says he won't return to MMA training until 2027, so a fight would come in the second half of that year at the earliest.
Is McGregor retiring?
He hasn't announced it. He has one fight left on his UFC contract and his coach believes he isn't done competing.
Why did McGregor ask for the result to be overturned?
He asked for the fight to be ruled a no contest and for bets to be refunded, but the result stood: the injury happened with the fight already underway.
