Conor McGregor reveals wild plan for Max Holloway at UFC 329 that ended in disaster as fight ended in just 69 seconds

Conor McGregor (Image Via Getty)

Conor McGregor has revealed that he planned to charge straight at Max Holloway and “crack him in the jaw” from the opening bell at UFC 329. The former two-division champion wanted to make a statement in his long-awaited return. Instead, his risky plan lasted just seconds before his right knee gave way.McGregor’s comeback against Holloway ended after only 69 seconds when a flying switch kick resulted in a torn ACL and meniscus damage. The Irishman refused to quit despite the injury, but the referee stopped the fight. Holloway was awarded a TKO victory, leaving McGregor facing another major setback.

Conor McGregor has now explained exactly what was going through his mind before the rematch began.Rather than slowly finding his range, the Irishman had already decided that he would attack Holloway immediately.

His plan was shaped by the memory of his horrific leg injury against Dustin Poirier in 2021. McGregor wanted to overcome that fear by being aggressive from the opening second.“I just had to set in my head, I don’t care, when this bell rings, last time I had one leg snapped in half, I want to run forward and try fly across the octagon and crack him in the jaw”, McGregor said.

The strategy was certainly bold. As soon as the opening bell sounded, McGregor rushed forward. He then launched himself into a flying roundhouse kick as he attempted to catch Holloway with a huge opening strike.Holloway avoided the attack. McGregor was left to land awkwardly on one leg. His right knee buckled almost immediately, bringing the fight to a shocking end.UFC CEO Dana White later confirmed that McGregor had suffered a torn ACL along with meniscus damage.Despite being unable to properly support himself, McGregor reportedly continued urging officials to let him fight. His determination, however, could not save the comeback.The referee eventually stopped the contest after 69 seconds.

The defeat also left their rivalry level at 1-1. McGregor had beaten Holloway by unanimous decision in their first meeting in 2013.For McGregor, however, the attack was clearly about more than simply winning.He wanted to prove to himself that the devastating leg injury from 2021 would not dictate how he fought in his comeback.Ironically, that aggressive mindset contributed to another serious knee injury.The setback also comes at an important point in McGregor’s UFC career. His appearance against Holloway reportedly removed one fight from his current UFC contract, leaving him with just one bout remaining.McGregor has already hinted at what could come next. He recently praised the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and suggested that a BKFC debut could be his first priority once he becomes a free agent.For now, though, his biggest talking point remains the plan that was supposed to “crack” Holloway’s jaw, but instead ended his comeback almost instantly.