Analyst claims Conor McGregor quit early after knee injury at UFC 329
Former UFC fighter and commentator Din Thomas said Conor McGregor appeared to stop fighting soon after injuring his knee during his bout with Max Holloway, suggesting the decision was deliberate.
Conor McGregor suffered a suspected ACL tear within the first minute of his rematch with Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas and will undergo surgery on his right knee. The injury occurred after McGregor attempted a jumping switch kick and fell repeatedly, prompting him to stop fighting and exit the cage on his own.
Former UFC competitor Din Thomas, speaking on the "Deep Waters" podcast, said he believes McGregor chose to quit rather than continue despite the injury. > "I don't think he really even wanted to fight," Thomas said. He added that McGregor had previously fought through a similar injury in a 2013 bout with Holloway and suggested the current situation reflected a lack of effort.
Thomas compared the incident to Tom Aspinall’s knee injury against Curtis Blaydes in 2022, noting that Aspinall required assistance to leave the arena, whereas McGregor walked out unaided. He concluded that McGregor’s early exit did not match the expectations he had set for a "greatest comeback".
McGregor’s camp has not yet commented on Thomas’s remarks. The fighter is scheduled for surgery, and his future in the UFC remains uncertain.