SportOther SportsConor McGregorConor McGregor injured himself throwing a kick in the opening seconds of his fight with Max Holloway and was forced to quit16:08, 12 Jul 2026Updated 16:14, 12 Jul 2026Conor McGregor's coach has defended the kick the Irishman threw which led to him injuring his knee.‌McGregor raced from his corner at the start of his comeback fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 and threw an ambitious flying kick at his opponent. The former two-weight champion landed awkwardly and lasted another 60 seconds before he was forced to accept defeat.‌The Dubliner later insisted he had not been injured going into the fight and his coach John Kavanagh has since insisted the opening move had been planned. “Devastated,” he wrote on social media. “That opening jump switch kick was drilled daily for months, multiple times in warm up. Never an issue. Knee went when he threw the very first kick. Doesn’t get any worse than this. Looking forward to seeing my family in a few days.”‌McGregor was fighting for the first time in five years as he took to the cage for the main event in Las Vegas. He had broken his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021 and battled back to fitness - and he insists he will do so again."I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened," he wrote on social media. "The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face here. I am not engaging. I will be at church tomorrow. I will overcome this. I will not be deterred. I will return."Article continues belowShould McGregor indeed make another comeback, Holloway is willing to fight him for a third time having lost on points when they first met in 2013. "After turning around so fast for this fight in March, it's been fast," he said."But I'd love to see this Conor 170lb domain that he was talking about. This different world he was talking about. I want to see what his injury is first, but I then want to come back again in 2027. I will take some time to have a break to see my family, and then you guys will see Blessed return in 2027."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Conor McGregorUFC