Dana White confirms ACL tear, surgery for Conor McGregor
Dana White confirms Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 injury was an ACL tear and the former champ will undergo surgery.
Conor McGregor has not undergone surgery, much less started physical rehabilitation for what he says is an injured ACL and meniscus in his right knee.
But McGregor, 38, on Monday, July 27 used a post on Instagram to suggest the approximate date of his next UFC bout after his short-lived comeback fight July 11.
“What was to be a generational beating is now to be reset,’’ McGregor wrote. “IFW 2027 The Last Dance.’’
IFW appears to refer to International Fight Week, which typically is held in June or July and sponsored by the UFC. The Last Dance appears to refer to the final fight on his UFC contract.
Lenee Breckenridge, Senior VP of Communications for the UFC, did not return messages from USA TODAY Sports asking if the UFC will confirm that McGregor will fight during International Fight Week 2027.
This pronouncement from McGregor comes three days after he posted a video of himself working out on a leg extension machine. That came about two weeks after McGregor appeared to injure himself when he opened his comeback fight with a flying kick.
The welterweight bout against Max Holloway lasted 69 seconds. The referee halted the bout after McGregor fell three times and reached for his right knee in apparent pain.
What Dana White has said
UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation July 18 at UFC Friday Night Fights in Oklahoma City.
“The Conor McGregor discussion isn’t even worth talking about,’’ White said, according to cagesidepress.com. “He’s gotta have knee surgery, he’s going to have to go through physical therapy, it’s all going to take time, then when the doctor says you can start hardcore training again, then we start talking about Conor McGregor again.”
On Sunday, July 26, a reporter asked White if he knew what was going on with McGregor’s knee in apparent reference to video of McGregor doing leg extensions.
“I have no idea,” said White, who was in New York for a boxing card promoted by his company, Zuffa Boxing. “… We had him on FaceTime tonight ringside. But you know, Conor McGregor’s out for a year.”
What does Max Holloway say?
Holloway did not immediately return messages left by USA TODAY Sports seeing if he could face McGregor in a return match during International Fight Week 2027.
Holloway’s manager, Tim Simpson, did not immediately respond to messages left by email.