Conor McGregor Lets UFC Momentum Slip Away at UFC 329

It felt like the UFC was building towards something special.

And then on Saturday night during UFC 329, their biggest superstar let them down.

Coming off of the heels of a controversial yet somewhat successful UFC Freedom 250 event on the south lawn of the White House in Washington D.C., Dana White and Co. were prepared to welcome Conor McGregor back into the octagon for a main event against Max Holloway.

UFC Freedom 250 fell short of Super Bowl viewership expectations and lost some serious cash due to the massive infrastructure needed to pull off an outdoor fight card at the White House. But the event lived up to the hype, with thrilling finishes and a stellar production.

It seemed like momentum from that event was carrying over into UFC 329 initially. The McGregor vs. Holloway press conferences were successful and created plenty of buzz. We learned that McGregor was still the biggest name in the sport, even though he hadn’t made the walk out to the octagon in five years.

UFC 329 started with a bang. During the prelims, former NFL player and college wrestler Gable Steveson secured a big win. King Green vs Terrance McKinney had a controversial comeback finish at the end of the first round, but showcased two up and coming names in the sport. Brandon Royval won by submission and Mario Bautista earned a fun decision over Cory Sandhagen.

The co-main event eventually would prove to be the real story of the night as Paddy Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint-Denis in the first minute of the fight. Paddy the Baddy is becoming one of the fastest growing superstars in the UFC.

But all of that momentum was dead on arrival shortly after McGregor’s walk into the octagon. The 37-year-old tripped out of his shoes upon entering the ring, something that has been examined closely by social media sleuths following his loss.

Inside the octagon, McGregor didn’t even last five seconds. A flying, spinning roundhouse missed Holloway badly. McGregor landed oddly on his right leg, likely rupturing his ACL. The fight lasted 69 seconds and Holloway was declared the winner by TKO once it became evident that McGregor couldn’t stand on his severely injured knee.

Was he injured before the fight? Was the reckless flying, spinning roundhouse kick really enough to tear his knee? Why even throw that? Especially if he wasn’t 100 percent heading into the octagon?

McGregor limped out of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas without even changing out of his fight trunks or putting on a shirt. Obviously, he didn’t answer questions from reporters.

He claimed on social media that he was healthy entering the fight, but fans will be left to speculate if that’s the truth or not.

For a moment, it felt like any chatter about the UFC lacking superstars felt overrated. Sean O’Malley and Justin Gaethje are two fan favorites that secured huge wins at the White House. Pimblett is joining that territory, especially with a first-round submission against a worthy opponent in Saint-Denis.

McGregor had the chance to put the UFC back on the map with an exclamation point. Instead, he’s left with one fight on his contract and as muddy a future as we’ve ever seen.