Conor McGregor's long-awaited UFC return ends with another leg injury

While Max Holloway spoiled Conor McGregor's highly anticipated five-year return Saturday night in the main event at UFC 329, he took a bold approach to his immediate UFC future following his welterweight debut.

Holloway (28-9 MMA) earned a TKO against the former two-division champion at 1:09 of Round 1 after McGregor (22-7 MMA) injured the same leg he had injured in his trilogy loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

With a sold-out crowd of 20,076 packed into T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and a massive gate for Paramount Plus' continuous exclusive streaming venture at all live UFC events, Holloway doubled down on his legendary status.

"It's an honor," Holloway said after the fight. "We got to run it back. One more time. One more time for the boys."

McGregor quickly exited the Octagon after the injury, leaving the arena without providing post-fight comments and leaving more questions than answers about his future, as he's set to turn 38 on Tuesday.

"Just on my (social media) accounts, the (Friday ceremonial weigh-in) faceoff that day is at 80 million views," UFC CEO Dana White told reporters at his post-fight presser regarding McGregor's injury. "So, if there was a pre-existing injury, somebody would have noticed it (that) he was limping. (He) put his shoes on, ran right at him (Holloway). I don't think there was. Anything is possible. But he sure didn't look like it. And for 80 million (people) just on my account, and that number has gotta be massive and nobody noticed anything."

As for what's next for Holloway, he said his options are open without definitively locking down his next opponent, though he called for a trilogy once McGregor is back to full health.

Both men showed competitive intent during the final seconds, with the Las Vegas crowd roaring its approval as the bout reached its sudden conclusion.

Despite his five-year absence from the sport, McGregor competed, though his return ended in disaster as he sustained another severe leg injury.

Per White, who shared an update Saturday following Friday's CBS news ahead of the ceremonial weigh-ins, the live gate revenue for the event reached a staggering $25 million. The figure shattered the promotion's previous record of $22 million, set in September 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

The event featured 14 fights, including a five-fight main card. Paddy Pimblett (24-4) advanced his lightweight contender status against Benoit Saint-Denis (17-4, 1 NC) via submission (D'arce choke) 52 seconds into the first round, remaining in the upper echelon of the lightweight championship picture in the night's co-main event.

Pimblett secured the spectacular victory by initially jumping a guillotine before seamlessly flipping Saint-Denis over to lock in the fight-ending choke.

Bantamweight contender Mario Bautista secured a crucial victory, defeating former title challenger Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) to position himself for a potential title shot.

While the bout was largely uneventful, Bautista (18-3) put the finishing touches on the fight with a decisive third-round knockdown to avenge his 2019 short-notice loss in his UFC debut. Sandhagen (18-7) appeared to have sustained a knee injury during a ground transition in the fight, though the injury remains unconfirmed.

In flyweight action, Brandon Royval (18-9) survived immense early adversity to secure a spectacular submission victory, defeating England's Lone'er Kavanagh (10-2) via rear-naked choke at 3:39 of Round 3. Despite being dropped several times in an unbelievable back-and-forth war, Royval rallied in the final frame to lock in the choke and force the tap.

In the lightweight main-card opener, King Green (36-17-1, 1 NC) delivered one of the most spectacular buzzer-beater comebacks in UFC history, knocking out Terrance McKinney (18-9) at 4:59 of Round 1.

After surviving McKinney taking his back late in the frame, Green escaped to his feet with only seconds remaining. He instantly turned the tide, unleashing a devastating combination -- landing a left hand, two front kicks, and a brutal body shot -- to fold McKinney and secure the walk-off stoppage at the literal horn.