McGregor-Holloway 2 Peaks at 8.3 Million Concurrent Viewers as UFC 329 Draws 15.9 Million

Q: After another shocking leg injury, is Conor McGregor's legendary UFC career finished or is one last comeback actually possible?

One last comeback is still possible, but the evidence now points to McGregor being far closer to the end than to a true second act. The biggest obstacle is physical. McGregor is 37, turning 38, and this is his second major leg-related setback in a comeback cycle already defined by injury. He returned at UFC 329 after five years out from the broken left leg he suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021, only to injure his right leg 69 seconds into the Holloway fight. Dana White said the early assumption was a blown ACL, while outside medical analysis has also raised meniscus damage as a possibility. If it is an ACL tear, the recovery could stretch well into 2027. The competitive picture is also bleak. McGregor has just one win since 2016 in MMA, and long layoffs have left him chasing a division that has moved on. Even before UFC 329, questions about age, durability and consistency were unavoidable. Another extended rehabilitation would make a return to elite form even less likely. What keeps the door open is his drawing power and his own insistence that he is not done. UFC 329 became Paramount+’s biggest exclusive live event, driven largely by interest in his return. McGregor has said he wants surgery, rehab and the final fight on his UFC contract, targeting April 2027. So the realistic answer is this: a final appearance is plausible because McGregor still sells at the highest level, but a meaningful late-career revival now looks highly unlikely.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 16

8.3 million concurrent viewers tuned in at the peak of McGregor-Holloway 2 on Paramount+, making UFC 329 the platform's second-biggest live-event peak behind only Super Bowl LVII.
15.9 million viewers across the U.S. and Latin America watched the event overall, slightly below the 17 million who saw the UFC's White House card last month.
Conor McGregor's first UFC appearance since July 2021 ended in 69 seconds when he injured his knee early and lost to Max Holloway in the first round in Las Vegas.
McGregor, 38, said this week he will undergo right-knee surgery and hopes to return for the final fight on his UFC contract.