McGregor's UFC 329 comeback ends in injury and boos

Irish fighter Conor McGregor charged at the American Max Holloway for a head kick and landed awkwardly on his leg in the opening seconds. His knee buckled and appeared to pop out of place before the fight was stopped by the doctor. Fans booed McGregor heavily following the loss.

UFC President Dana White told reporters he did not believe there was a pre-existing injury, noting the ceremonial weigh-in video had drawn more than 80 million views, and someone would have noticed if McGregor had been hurt.

The fight ended at 1:09 of the first round with McGregor attempting to kick and strike Holloway two more times before being waved out by the referee Mike Beltran. McGregor left the octagon without speaking to UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who said he would like to speak with the Irish fighter.

McGregor has one fight remaining on his UFC contract. It was McGregor's first fight in just over five years.

White said he assumed McGregor suffered a blown ACL, adding that five years off can be rough on a fighter. Holloway said he repeatedly told Beltran to stop the fight once he saw McGregor was hurt, though McGregor kept telling the referee to let the fight continue. McGregor wrote on social media early Sunday that he had no injuries going into the fight, describing the moment as coming "out of nowhere." Holloway closed as a betting favorite, while McGregor was the underdog.

The co-main event was also brief, as Paddy Pimblett defeated Benoit Saint Denis in 52 seconds, securing a choke submission after Saint Denis attempted an early takedown.

Elsewhere on the card, Mario Bautista defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision in a bantamweight bout, Brandon Royval submitted Lone'er Kavanagh with a rear-naked choke in a flyweight fight, and King Green overcame a battering to finish Terrance McKinney by TKO late in the first round.