Conor McGregor isn't letting his latest injury change his long-term plans.
McGregor's much-anticipated return to the Octagon ended in disappointment as the veteran Irish fighter lasted only 1:09 with Max Holloway before the fight was forced to be stopped because of an apparent knee injury he suffered attempting an opening flying roundhouse kick.
The 37-year-old addressed speculation about his demeanour before the bout, dismissing claims that he appeared distracted or unfocused as he made his way to the Octagon.
"I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense," McGregor wrote.
Despite the disappointment, McGregor made it clear he has no intention of stepping away from competition.
The Irishman described the injury as another obstacle in a career that has already included a lengthy recovery from the broken leg he suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
"The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face here. I am not engaging," he wrote. "I will be at church tomorrow. I will overcome this. I will not be deterred. I will return."
McGregor last fought exactly five years and a day before Saturday night.
Holloway was asked about the strange win.
"I had the man weak in the knees, I guess," Holloway joked. "All jokes aside, I just hope he's good. ... During the fight, you could immediately tell his demeanour changed and, shout out to the ref, I was trying to tell the ref sooner. Like, this guy's kids are front row, I don't want to see him take unnecessary damage.
"But this is how crazy Conor is, the first time he's on the ground I punch him and he's like, 'Fight!' So, I was like, 'OK.' So I backed up and said, 'Stand up then. Let's fight' And then he fell back down and the fight was called."
Even before the fight began, Holloway sensed something may have been amiss with McGregor.
"Even with him walking into the Octagon it just didn't seem like the same Conor," Holloway said. "He was there to fight, but I thought he would be a little more rowdy, a little more crazy, but he looked really, really calm."
Despite that, McGregor said he'd been perfectly healthy in the lead-up.
"My head gasket is gone," McGregor wrote on social media. "Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell."
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