UFC released footage of Conor McGregor practicing the split-stance kick in his dressing room immediately before his walkout to fight Max Holloway at UFC 329. The same movement led to the knee injury he suffered inside the cage during the bout.
Footage released by the UFC on July 12 shows Conor McGregor performing the exact kick in his dressing room moments before his walkout at UFC 329 that would later contribute to the knee injury he sustained during the fight against Max Holloway.
The clip captures McGregor drilling a split-stance kick backstage, a movement he then replicated inside the cage before suffering the injury. The release of the footage provides a clearer picture of how the damage may have occurred, suggesting the mechanism was already in motion before the bout formally began.
McGregor, 37, carried a 22-7 record into UFC 329 representing Ireland and SBG Ireland. The southpaw stands five-foot-nine with a notably long 74-inch reach and entered the contest with a striking accuracy of 49 percent and 5.27 significant strikes landed per minute across his career.
He faced Max Holloway, the 34-year-old American ranked fourth in the lightweight division and ninth pound-for-pound. Holloway, who trains out of Gracie Technics, holds a 28-9 record and is one of the sport's most prolific volume strikers, averaging 6.92 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- The footage raises questions about McGregor's physical condition immediately prior to the fight
- A pre-existing or aggravated injury sustained backstage could have directly affected the contest's outcome
- The incident adds further uncertainty to McGregor's timeline at lightweight, where Holloway holds a top-four ranking
Saturday, July 11, 2026
