What happened to Conor McGregor in last UFC fight? Injury details and recovery ahead of return

Conor McGregor’s last UFC fight resulted in him being ‘airlifted’ out of Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena with his ‘leg hanging off’.

McGregor returns to action in the same venue this weekend to face Max Holloway at UFC 329, knowing another fateful misstep inside the Octagon could end his fighting career forever.

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McGregor’s disastrous last UFC fight

It was July 10, 2021, in the main event of UFC 264, just west of the renowned Las Vegas Strip, when the 37-year-old last appeared in Dana White‘s promotion.

McGregor faced Dustin Poirier in a trilogy bout, having been knocked out by the American six months prior in a rematch of their initial 2014 clash, which McGregor had won.

‘The Notorious’ was heavy with his leg kicks from the off, slamming Poirier’s lead right leg before almost catching ‘The Diamond’ in a guillotine choke at the three-minute mark.

However, momentum quickly shifted when Poirier, who had stung McGregor more than once with his left hand, found himself on top position, dropping bombs in what was an electric start to the fight.

Referee Herb Dean came close to stopping the contest as Poirier continued to find McGregor’s head, but with just 14 seconds left in round one, both men made it to their feet.

McGregor may have wished he had seen out the first five minutes on the canvas, as disaster quickly struck.

After landing a brief leg kick and attempting to keep Poirier at bay by going to the body, both stars traded and missed with left hands.

As McGregor disengaged, the Irishman stepped back and, with his left foot planted, fell straight back on his lower leg and ankle, wincing in pain as he crashed to the canvas.

Poirier followed up with a flurry of shots on the ground and was seen mouthing to his corner that McGregor had broken his leg when the fight was stopped.

“The toughest business of all is the fight business. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a difficult period of a few years,” McGregor explained, recalling his injury on UFC 329 Countdown this week.

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“I knew the leg had a stress fracture going into the bout. It was in a boot prior to the bout, walking around.

“I stepped up and rocked on. The damage had been done to the leg, and it was accumulating. And it snapped, and that was it. It happens.”

‘A titanium rod from knee to ankle’

McGregor sustained fractures to his left tibia and fibula, having been carried out of the Octagon on a stretcher with his foot in a protective boot, and an emergency surgery was needed.

He was flown straight to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, where he underwent surgery for over three hours to have a metal rod placed in his tibia.

“I’ve got a titanium rod down the knee — from the knee to my ankle,” McGregor, who was staying in an apartment close to the doctors at the time, said on social media in the days following.

“I’m in a lot of pain. It’s not going to be a few days or even a few weeks.

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“It’s going to be a bit of time. I’m gonna do this. I’m gonna come back, I’ve got all the tools to do it.”

He later added that his priority was ‘to get back to full health and come back after such an injury full of energy’.

The road back

The road back, however, has been packed with obstacles.

McGregor was originally scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024, but a ‘slight lapse in concentration’ led to ‘The Notorious’ breaking his toe while sparring.

“My training partner had no protection. Next thing you know, bang broke my f***ing toe,” McGregor said of the incident.

Beyond physical fitness, McGregor’s comeback to the UFC has also been marred by lawsuits, outside distractions, and legal battles with former friends and associates.

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Last month, he admitted to ‘disgracing’ his position ‘many times’, having hit ‘rock bottom’ following his injury against Poirier.

And the Dubliner has also been caught up in a media firestorm after being accused by The New York Times of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) while recovering from the same injury.

Dr Neal ElAttrache, who performed McGregor’s surgery in 2021, is believed to have sent a letter supporting an application for a medical exemption at the time that would have allowed McGregor to use PEDs

“Shocking. Shocking. A man’s private medical history for the most devastating injury that you’ll see in combat sports. The whole thing is strange to me,” McGregor said on The Ariel Helwani Show in June, addressing the allegations.

“You have an injury like that, you’re not going to walk again. The objective should be to get that athlete, that father who’s given his life, his limbs, his livelihood for the entertainment of the people, and for the profit of the company, back on his feet.

“And that was not the case — not with the UFC, but with the former body [USASA] that was there prior. And I find that wrong.

UFC Schedule

The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.

On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.

With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.

There are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.

“So all I cared about was — I’m airlifted out of this f***ing arena with my leg hanging off.

“How am I going to walk again?… there’s like a 20 per cent chance that that leg doesn’t join together again. It’s called a nonunion [fracture] where the bone doesn’t join. You’re left on a wobble forever.

“That’s what’s at stake here? F*** this fighting game. You crazy? I’ve children to raise and play with.

“So I was a bit shocked that was the case, but whatever. I took myself out of the [drug testing] pool, listened to my doctors, didn’t ask questions.

“If you’re gonna ask what I was on, I don’t even know. All I want to know is what’s going to get me back to my feet to be able to play with my children in a normal capacity again.”

The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion added: “Then you go through re-entering the pool. How many times have I been tested this year? 15 or something?”

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McGregor has been drug tested a whopping 14 times this year — the most of any fighter in the current roster and seven more than middleweight Luis Dias de Assis, who is in second.

But after 1,827 days sidelined, having now cleared every hurdle, McGregor makes his return to MMA’s biggest league this Saturday atop a stacked UFC 329 card.