UFC's Dana White Shares Major Conor McGregor Injury Update

Massive update from UFC president & CEO Dana White.

Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UFC CEO Dana White got hit with a brutal Conor McGregor reality check Sunday night during Zuffa Boxing 9, which took place at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Following the eight-fight card on Paramount+, an always-on-the-go White (who has upcoming trips to Serbia and Ireland planned over the next two weeks) shared that he and McGregor got together virtually over FaceTime.

Unfortunately for both sides, it was not an ideal conversation; a visibly exhausted White sat down with reporters and delivered the news of yet another McGregor injury delay. A torn ACL alongside damage to McGregor's meniscus turned White's doubt just one week earlier at Fanatics Fest into a rough realization without hesitation.

Dana White Confirms Conor McGregor's UFC Absence

(Zuffa LLC)

Despite recent McGregor post-fight footage, White remained cautious.

🚨 Dana White says Conor McGregor will be out for a year following the knee injury pic.twitter.com/Pv4ow0qJI7

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 27, 2026

“I have no idea,” White said of McGregor. "We had him on FaceTime tonight, ringside, but you know, Conor McGregor’s out for a year.”

White said he was initially taken aback by the question, given that much of the presser concerned boxing and considering that UFC Abu Dhabi had taken place a day earlier.

Conor McGregor's UFC Knee Injury, Explained

(Zuffa LLC)

McGregor's right knee injury transpired only 69 seconds into his UFC return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena, which was his first MMA fight in five years. McGregor attempted to land an unsuccessful roundhouse kick, leading to disaster almost immediately for the Irish superstar.

All the theories about whether McGregor was injured before or during the fight can be all but put to bed. With White on the record regarding McGregor's future, one that sees him have one fight left on his current UFC deal, it is now a backburner storyline in an already chaotic MMA year that isn't slowing down anytime soon.

Holloway had previously stated that he's content with taking time off. In an ideal scenario, a trilogy against McGregor would be the targeted fight, as it remains 1-1 (their first matchup was in 2013). But the UFC may look elsewhere regarding an opponent for both men.

Is McGregor-Holloway 3 Officially Punted By UFC?

(Zuffa LLC

McGregor, 38, has still not seen the win column since Jan. 2020. On the contrary, the 34-year-old Holloway previously held the UFC's "BMF" title (relinquished to Charles Oliveira in March) and the UFC Featherweight Championship between June 2017 (via a unification vs. Jose Aldo at UFC 212) and Dec. 2019 against two-time current UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245.

Nonetheless, the possibility of McGregor-Holloway 3 remains in limbo. It may stay that way for the forseeable future, but it's up to the UFC to make a crucial decision either way.