Sean O’Malley says he was left stunned watching Conor McGregor’s latest comeback end in just 69 seconds due to a leg injury against Max Holloway at UFC 329.
McGregor’s injury TKO defeat at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas came in his first fight since July 2021. The rematch with Holloway set a new UFC gate record with $25 million in ticket sales.
Reacting live on YouTube, O’Malley struggled to process what he had just seen. “I feel like I’m in shock,” he said, later adding, “I cannot believe what just happened. There’s no way he had a previous knee injury going into the fight. There’s no way, because you don’t come out with a f*cking double front backflip 720 spinning heel kick to the chin if your knee’s compromised. It’s hard for me to believe if he had a previous existing injury. I’m so sad right now.”
O’Malley also voiced concern about how McGregor might handle another setback. “Oh God, I hope Conor doesn’t go off the f*cking deep end,” he said, before joking, “And if he does, I hope he calls me and asks me to join him because I would love to f*cking partake off the deep end with you. If you need a mate, let f*cking let me know.”
Reflecting on McGregor’s years away from competition, O’Malley said they involved “a lot of alcohol. A lot of nose lattes. A lot of just partying,” and questioned how the UFC should approach booking him again after multiple disrupted comeback attempts, including issues involving Michael Chandler.
Despite the setback, McGregor has expressed a positive attitude about his injury and potential recovery, and he expects to fulfill the final fight on his UFC contract.
