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McGregor Loses to Holloway, Knee Surgery Needed

7/18/2026

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Summary

McGregor Knee Injury

Conor McGregor (UFC fighter) lost to Max Holloway by TKO after a jumping kick popped his knee on July 11, 2026, causing referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight.
He denied mind-altering substances, felt calm, and will have knee surgery after MRI results, insisting next opponent be Holloway.
UFC CEO Dana White said McGregor needs surgery and rehab, called rematch timeline uncertain, and declined to set a date.

Summary

McGregor Names Holloway

Betting lines released after Conor McGregor’s X post listed Max Holloway at –500 and Conor McGregor at +375 for a 2027 trilogy bout.
Conor McGregor answered fan questions on X with “It has to be Holloway” and deleted replies, saying he wanted to avoid “back and forth.”
In the same thread Conor McGregor denied using mind-altering substances before UFC 329.
Conor McGregor also said his physical condition was “fit, healthy…never in better condition.”

History

Historical Context

UFC 229 on October 6 2018 pitted undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov against Conor McGregor at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena. The bout set a record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and sparked a post-fight melee that led the Nevada State Athletic Commission to suspend both fighters and fine them heavily. The incident reinforced the UFC’s shift toward stricter safety contracts and higher-revenue PPV models.

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McGregor Knee Injury

Conor McGregor (UFC fighter) lost to Max Holloway by TKO after a jumping kick popped his knee on July 11, 2026, causing referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight.
He denied mind-altering substances, felt calm, and will have knee surgery after MRI results, insisting next opponent be Holloway.
UFC CEO Dana White said McGregor needs surgery and rehab, called rematch timeline uncertain, and declined to set a date.

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