McGregor's Future: What Awaits the Irish Superstar After a Disastrous Comeback

The return of the legendary Conor McGregor turned into a real disaster... Fans had been waiting for the "Notorious" to appear in the cage for a long five years, but the reality turned out to be even harsher than the gloomiest forecasts. His rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 329 lasted only 69 seconds and left nothing but a deep sense of disappointment. Instead of a thrilling fight in Las Vegas, spectators saw the former double UFC champion injure his knee after the very first strike attempt. And now his future in the sport is once again in question.

How did McGregor's fight at UFC 329 turn out?

The main event of UFC 329 lasted just over a minute. Conor decided to surprise the audience from the first moments and immediately after the gong, he took to the air, launching a spectacular flying kick. Unfortunately for the Irishman, landing on his support leg led to a severe knee injury. Yes, McGregor tried to hide the excruciating pain, but his contorted face betrayed the real situation. The ex-champion collapsed on the mat and tried to defend himself while lying down, but Max nobly refused to finish off his injured opponent and drew the referee's attention to the situation. As a result, the "Notorious" could not continue the fight. And the referee declared the American's victory by technical knockout 69 seconds after the start of the fight.

How much did McGregor earn in 69 seconds?

Despite the failure in the cage, the financial side of the matter confirms McGregor's status as the main cash cow of UFC. According to press reports, the Irishman earned about 30 million dollars for the fight against Max Holloway.

If you do some simple calculations, Conor received about 435 thousand dollars for each second he spent in the cage. For comparison, the winner of the fight, Max Holloway, earned about three million dollars for stepping into the cage.

What McGregor said after the defeat

Immediately after the fight, McGregor did not hide his despair. Not an hour had passed when the following message appeared on the Irishman's social networks, addressed to his fans:

"My femoral head is shattered. I had no injuries before the fight. It happened out of the blue. Throughout the entire training camp, as well as backstage before the fight, I was kicking, jumping, and moving without any problems. It happened out of nowhere. I'm in the dark. I can only describe it as hell".

Will Conor end his career after the fight with Holloway?

Yes, following the event in Las Vegas, a large part of the MMA fans expressed confidence that Conor's time has passed. Therefore, to preserve his health, it's time for him to finally end his career. But as it turns out, McGregor himself is currently adamantly rejecting thoughts of retiring from the sport.

"I was"I was in excellent shape and so well prepared for this fight that I still can't believe what happened. Talks that I went into the fight not in my best shape are nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident in myself. I'm still in shock from what happened. It feels like the devil is staring me right in the eye. But I'm not going to fight him. I'll go to church. I'll overcome this, I won't be knocked off my path, I'll return (to the cage)".

It seems that this story is not over yet. And if Conor has promised to return, then we really should be expecting it (even if it takes five years).

Potential opponents for the Irishman

Conor still has one more fight left on his UFC contract. If McGregor can recover from his "cruciate" tear and decides to risk his health again, his return will still be the main event of the year for the industry. And even after a series of failures, there will be top fighters ready to share the octagon with him.

Let's highlight the top 3 most likely opponents for the former double champion:

1. Michael Chandler. Fans have been waiting for this fight for several years. Now Chandler is also in a deep crisis. And if Conor wants to return successfully, then the level of such opposition is just right for him.

2. Nate Diaz. A trilogy with the American is not only a story and drama, but also guaranteed hype. Their first two fights have become iconic. The score in this confrontation is equal (1-1). The legends clearly need a third fight to put all the dots over the I.

3. Justin Gaethje. Another intriguing option is the current UFC lightweight champion, whose fighting style guarantees a maximally spectacular and uncompromising shootout against Conor.