The ‘real reason’ why Conor McGregor injured himself just seconds into his comeback bout with Max Holloway at UFC 329 has been revealed.

McGregor returned to the Octagon for the first time in five years at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. His previous appearance saw him suffer a broken leg as he lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

As part of his rehabilitation from that injury, Conor was open about having used steroids to help him regain full strength and function in the limb. He even temporarily withdrew from the UFC drug testing pool in order to allow himself to do so without consequences.

Heading into Saturday night’s contest, McGregor repeatedly insisted that he was back to full health, promising his fans a vintage performance as he excitedly declared: “The Mac is back!”

Conor McGregor’s Injury at UFC 329

However, the 37-year-old failed to land a single strike in his comeback outing. In fact, in trying to find the target with a blow, he ended up seriously injuring himself in the opening moments of the contest.

Conor came flying out of his corner looking for a jumping roundhouse kick. He missed completely, while also landing awkwardly on his right leg. From that moment on, McGregor struggled to keep his footing, and it quickly became obvious that he was in rough shape.

Holloway even pleaded with referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight as he didn’t want to hurt his helpless opponent. McGregor made his feelings very clear on the idea of the bout being ended, but the official soon waved the contest off, with Holloway taking the victory. The entire fight lasted just 69 seconds.

In the aftermath of such a disappointing main event, many questioned whether McGregor was injured heading into the fight. This has since been denied by both Conor himself and his coaches.

Reason Conor McGregor Got Injured vs Max Holloway Emerges

Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images

Reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland, though, took to social media to offer a different perspective on the situation. Referencing McGregor’s well-publicised steroid use, Strickland wrote on X:

“I’m not saying this is it. But every homie I have that has done steroids for too long their bodies become so fragile. I’m not saying that’s why, but it does weaken everything.”

Although Strickland made every effort not to present his statement as a fact, it was clear that he believes that Conor’s prior steroid use contributed to his UFC 329 injury.

The American doubled down on his point in the replies, arguing: “I have a buddy [on steroids] who tears s*** just doing the most basic activities.”

McGregor justified his steroid use during a June interview on the Ariel Helwani Show, when he reasoned:

“You have an injury like that. You’re not going to walk again [without steroids]. If a doctor is prescribing certain medications to help you come back, otherwise you’re not going to walk again.

“There’s like a 20% chance that the leg doesn’t join together again. It’s called a non-union, where the bone doesn’t heal. That’s what’s at stake here.”

Regardless of what caused his injury, McGregor has vowed to come back and honour the final fight on his UFC contract once he is healthy. It remains to be seen whether his body will allow him to make it through a training camp for another bout.

West Ham and Coventry City are said to be battling for a World Cup star who recently impressed against England. The two English clubs went in opposite directions this summer, with Coventry securing their long-awaited return to the Premier League, while West Ham dropped out of the top flight for the first time in 15 years.

Frank Lampard is currently preparing his side for a Premier League season, well aware of the squad strengthening he will have to do to stand a chance of staying up, given the clear void between the top two divisions. Meanwhile, the Hammers will already be confident of securing promotion back to the top flight, armed with a solid budget, but they have lost Mateus Fernandes this season, and more important players are likely to depart before the summer is up.

West Ham and Coventry consider Berg transfer

The World Cup gives players a unique chance to impress on the world stage, especially those who don’t play in prominent domestic leagues, and many players have taken that opportunity this summer. The latest came in the quarter-final between England and Norway, which for most neutrals, was a tough watch.

Perhaps largely down to the extreme heat and humidity, the game was devoid of any real quality, with many of the top stars like Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and others simply failing to perform in the heat. But one player who did have a huge footprint on the game was Norway midfielder Patrick Berg. Berg was everywhere for Norway, and had they won the game, he would have had plenty of credit for it.

The busy midfielder seemed to be involved in almost everything Norway did, and despite his smaller stature, he wasn’t afraid to get stuck in, which was always going to be required in such a close game between two typically physical teams.

Berg impressed throughout the World Cup, and it seems he has now done enough to attract interest from England in the form of West Ham and Coventry.

Berg could cash in on big move

According to TeamTalk, Berg is considering leaving Bodo/Glimt to move abroad after an impressive season all-round, including in the Champions League, and the two clubs mentioned are among a number of English teams showing interest. Premier League clubs Hull City and Ipswich Town are also said to be keeping an eye.

It’s claimed Berg is willing to explore the possible opportunities this summer, now 28 years of age, and now would be the time to cash in after that impressive World Cup effort which has seen him described as one of Norway’s ‘most influential’ players.

Aston Villa have been rocked in the transfer market this week, and they are now keen to try and make it right with new arrivals.

The club saw midfield star Amadou Onana suffer a ruptured cruciate knee ligament injury at the World Cup which will see him miss the majority of the season, while Man Utd moved to trigger Youri Tielemans’ £35m release clause to take him to Old Trafford against Villa’s wishes.

Unai Emery has been handed some reinforcements, with Johan Manzambi set to arrive in a £52.4m deal from SC Freiburg, following his excellent World Cup campaign, and now the club are pushing for more signings to help fill the gaps.

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have made contact with Man Utd about a deal to sign midfielder Mason Mount this summer.

Mount, who joined Man Utd from Chelsea back in 2023 for £60m, has had a torrid time at Old Trafford with injuries, restricting him to just 72 appearances across his three seasons, scoring seven goals in the process.

The England international has now entered the final two years of his contract, which sees him earn £250,000-a-week, and with Michael Carrick overseeing a midfield rebuild this summer, there was some speculation that Mount could be allowed to move on.

However, while Villa made an enquiry into the 27-year-old’s availability for the summer window, they were met with a swift rejection, as Man Utd intend to keep Mount at the club for the upcoming campaign.

Mount is also understood to be very happy at the club and wants to stay and prove himself, with more game time opportunities available this season due to them reaching the Champions League.

Aston Villa Need to Be Active

Emery has done a magical job at Villa since arriving, and last year the club won the Europa League and finished fourth in the Premier League. But the squad is now weaker following the midfield developments, plus the fact Jadon Sancho has left after his loan spell.

Financially, they are not in the best spot. But the club need to find a way to get active in the market and find replacements that are needed. Manzambi is an exciting addition, but he doesn’t have much top-flight experience.

Mount would have been a good replacement for Tielemans, but after being told that there is no scope for a move, the recruitment department must get busy quickly, or risk throwing the season under the bus before it has even begun.