Tom Aspinall commented on Conor McGregor 's injury at UFC 329 with a mixture of frustration and good humor. The Irishman faced Max Holloway last Saturday (11), but ended up injuring his knee in the first moments of the fight and had to abandon the fight. Despite lamenting the outcome of the anticipated fight, the heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg) took advantage of the situation to joke about the speculation surrounding the severity of the injury.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Aspinall reacted to the moment when Joe Rogan pointed out, during the broadcast, that McGregor had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The Briton mocked the commentator's quick thinking, jokingly suggesting that Rogan would be able to identify such a serious injury instantly, as if he had an 'MRI vision' to see the state of the fighter's knee.
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“Joe Rogan said it’s the anterior cruciate ligament, so it definitely is. He has like an MRI view, where he can see his knee,” said Tom Aspinall.
How long will Conor McGregor be out for?
Like Joe Rogan, Dana White suspects that 'The Notorious' has torn his anterior cruciate ligament, a problem that, on average, requires between nine and twelve months of recovery before returning to training and competition.
In the post-event press conference, Dana White reiterated that the primary initial assessment is that of an ACL tear, a scenario also shared by the medical team responsible for the treatment.
"We're assuming an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. I'm not a doctor, but that's what I thought when I saw the play, and the doctors think the same thing," said Dana White.
Watch the moment Conor McGregor suffered his injury against Max Holloway at UFC 329.
The kick that led to the ending 😢 😭 #UFC329
It just wasn't meant to be for Conor McGregor ... pic.twitter.com/wXEdPnH19t
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 12, 2026
What is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear?
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most frequent orthopedic injuries, especially among athletes. Responsible for stabilizing the knee, the ligament prevents excessive displacement of the tibia relative to the femur and helps control the rotational movements of the joint.
In most cases, the injury occurs without direct contact, being caused by sudden movements, such as abrupt changes of direction with the foot fixed on the ground, rapid decelerations, improper landings after jumps, or even hyperextension of the knee. At the moment of rupture, it is common to hear a popping sound, followed by intense pain, rapid swelling, and a feeling of instability, as if the knee were giving way.
Treatment varies according to the severity and profile of the injured person: it can be conservative, with physiotherapy focused on muscle strengthening, or surgical, indicated mainly for athletes, with ligament reconstruction through grafting. Complete recovery, in surgical cases, can take between nine and twelve months.
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