Matt Brown says Conor McGregor's knee injury stemmed from nerves and poor matchmaking
Retired UFC veteran Matt Brown attributes Conor McGregor’s knee injury at UFC 329 to nervousness and a lack of a tune-up fight, and warns the promotion may set him up for a loss if he does not re-sign.
Former UFC welterweight Matt Brown said Conor McGregor appeared nervous before his UFC 329 bout with Max Holloway, which ended when McGregor suffered a severe knee injury after his opening kick. On the podcast The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown suggested the Irish fighter’s confidence was undermined by a five-year layoff and a previous broken leg, leading to anxiety that affected his performance.
Brown argued McGregor should have taken a lower-ranked opponent as a warm-up fight rather than facing a top-five lightweight like Holloway, noting that such “tune-up” bouts are common to help fighters regain form. He added that the UFC’s business model may pressure McGregor into a challenging matchup if he does not renew his contract, potentially setting him up for a loss to diminish his market value.
McGregor posted that he plans to undergo surgery, recover, and train for what he calls the “final fight of the contract” before exploring free agency options in other combat-sport promotions.