McGregor's coach says knee injury was not pre-existing before UFC 329 loss
John Kavanagh said Conor McGregor's right knee had never been a problem before his defeat to Max Holloway at UFC 329, and UFC president Dana White said there was no sign of a pre-existing injury.
Conor McGregor's right knee was not a pre-existing issue, his longtime head coach John Kavanagh asserted after the fighter’s loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The bout ended after 69 seconds when McGregor’s knee buckled following a jump switch kick, prompting speculation about an underlying condition.
Kavanagh posted on Facebook that the kick was practiced daily for months and that the knee had never been a problem, adding that the injury occurred on the very first kick. He expressed disappointment but said he looked forward to reuniting with his family.
UFC CEO Dana White said doctors believed McGregor may have suffered a torn ACL, a condition he previously endured in 2013, but he did not think the fighter entered the match with a pre-existing injury. White noted that McGregor’s behavior during press conferences and the weigh-in showed no signs of impairment, and that no one had observed any issue before the fight.