Conor McGregor knee injury: Coach explains what happened at UFC 329

Conor McGregor's comeback fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 ended in devastating fashion when the Irish star's knee gave way on his opening kick, forcing an early stoppage in the first round. McGregor's longtime coach John Kavanagh has now clarified the circumstances surrounding the injury, dismissing suggestions that a pre-existing condition played a role.

Kavanagh took to Facebook to express his disappointment and provide details about how the injury occurred. He noted that the jump switch kick McGregor attempted—the very technique that caused the damage—had been drilled extensively during training sessions and warmups for months without issue. According to Kavanagh, the knee simply gave way when McGregor threw that first kick of the bout, with no prior warning signs.

"Devastated," Kavanagh wrote. "That opening jump switch kick was drilled daily for months, multiple times in warmup. Never an issue. Knee went when he [threw] the very first kick. Doesn't get any worse than this."

The SBG Ireland head coach reiterated McGregor's position that the fighter entered UFC 329 healthy, contradicting any claims of a pre-existing injury. McGregor himself has not yet disclosed the full extent of the damage, though UFC President Dana White suggested at the post-fight press conference that a torn ACL may be responsible. White also moved quickly to shut down speculation about McGregor being compromised before stepping into the Octagon, backing the fighter's account that the injury was entirely in-cage.