Israel Adesanya suggests Conor McGregor had injury before UFC 329

Israel Adesanya has joined growing speculation that Conor McGregor entered his UFC 329 rematch against Max Holloway already carrying an injury. McGregor's comeback lasted just 69 seconds before he appeared to suffer a knee injury in the opening round, resulting in a loss to Holloway.

On his "Precision with Mighty & Izzy" podcast alongside former UFC star Demetrious Johnson, Adesanya pointed to pre-fight footage suggesting McGregor was favouring his left leg and reluctant to put weight on his right side before stepping into the Octagon. "I have eyes," Adesanya said. "When Conor took off the Crocs, as much as he said afterwards, 'I wasn't hurt before the fight,' I saw he didn't put weight on that right leg. And that tells me something."

The speculation echoes similar concerns about McGregor's trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, which also ended abruptly under contentious circumstances. However, McGregor has consistently denied entering the bout with a pre-existing injury, a position backed by his coach John Kavanagh and Dana White. The question of whether McGregor was truly healthy before the Holloway rematch remains disputed, though Adesanya's observation of the pre-fight ritual has added fuel to the debate.