This is so futile... 'Humiliating TKO loss in just 69 seconds': McGregor provoked after being humiliated, "Let's have another fight"

*This content was translated by AI.

It was a humiliating shock defeat in his first match in five years. Conor McGregor (Ireland) collapsed due to a senseless injury immediately after the start of the bout.

McGregor faced Max Holloway (USA) in the UFC main event welterweight match held on the 12th (Korea time), but suffered a TKO loss via referee stoppage just 1 minute and 9 seconds into the first round due to a knee injury that occurred as soon as the round began.

This bout was highly anticipated as it marked the rematch between the two fighters after their first encounter in 2013, occurring 13 years later. In their initial matchup, McGregor had secured a unanimous decision victory despite suffering a knee injury during the fight, displaying remarkable fighting spirit.

Notably, McGregor had been sidelined for an extended period after sustaining a severe leg fracture during his match against Dustin Poirier in 2021. This event marked his official return to competition after five years.

The outcome was disheartening. The arena, which had anticipated a historic night with the referee's signal, was suddenly doused with cold water within just a few seconds.

As soon as the opening bell rang, McGregor sprinted at full speed toward Holloway and attempted a flying kick. However, he lost his balance during landing and fell. When he tried a second kick after getting up, he landed awkwardly again and collapsed to the floor once more.

As McGregor repeatedly fell, Holloway seized the opportunity and unleashed powerful pounding strikes. Although McGregor tried to resist with a lower-body kick and pushed Holloway away, it was observed that an injury occurred to McGregor's leg during this process.

Holloway noticed McGregor's abnormal movement and signaled the referee about McGregor's injury, but the referee instructed the fight to continue. After Holloway delivered a light low kick, McGregor lost his balance so severely he could barely stand. His right knee was already completely damaged. It appeared that either the flying kick landing attempt early in the match caused a rupture, or an existing pre-match injury had worsened.

McGregor, intuitively realizing he could no longer fight, turned his back, muttered curses, and bowed his head. The referee immediately stopped the contest. The utterly futile and disappointing conclusion left some fans even shedding tears.

Holloway, who sought a perfect victory, also showed no joy. Immediately after the match ended, Holloway checked McGregor's condition and stated in the ring interview, "I think I weakened his knee," adding, "Now there's only one fight left—the third bout. It's the only match where we can make big money," demanding a rematch.

McGregor, devastated by the injury, refused both live commentary and interviews before exiting the octagon. Later, during broadcast replays, footage from his entrance moments was shown again, revealing that McGregor had already displayed signs of injury when he removed his shirt and tried to balance on his right leg, taking an awkward step once.

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*This content was translated by AI.