After his big comeback to the UFC following a five-year absence ended in disappointment, Conor McGregor has responded to fans who claimed his loss to Max Holloway was down to ‘years of hard drugs.’

The highly anticipated main event at UFC 329 saw McGregor take on former featherweight champion and BMF titleholder Max Holloway. The Irishman looked to make a fast start, opening with a high kick that saw him fall to the canvas. Bouncing back up, he looked to land with another, and once more fell to the canvas.

Holloway looked to ground and pound momentarily before letting McGregor back to his feet. The latter then looked to land with a punch, but once again lost his balance.

It was soon apparent the Irishman was unable to continue owing to a knee injury, leading to boos around the T-Mobile Arena as the fight ended in heartbreak for McGregor and disappointment for legions of fans after just 69 seconds.

Conor McGregor & Max Holloway Want Trilogy Fight

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Following the fight, Holloway confirmed there will be a trilogy fight, as the Hawaii native said “it sucks” the fight ended the way it did, given all the hype.

“We have to run it back one more time. We need one more,” he stressed.

McGregor, too, said Holloway is the man he wants to face in what will be the final fight of his current UFC contract.

Responding to fans on social media, McGregor wrote “it has to be Holloway” when asked who he’d like his last fight to be against.

That was one of several responses the 38-year-old superstar gave, with other fans asking him about his drug abuse and if that was the reason behind his defeat.

Conor McGregor Responds to Drug Use Allegations

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Since his last UFC fight five years ago, McGregor has become an increasingly controversial figure. There have been social media outbursts, court cases, a potential Irish presidential run, and incidences of substance abuse.

However, he was keen to assure fans he’s now turned the page after his defeat at UFC 329.

“I felt fully calm and relaxed,” he told one fan on social media. “It was going to the shop for my lunch. Lunch being the opponent.”

When another claimed “That’s what years of hard drugs does” to him, McGregor responded that it was nonsense.

He assured his hematocrit was 48% and that his engine, oxygen, and blood were “never in better condition.” Hematocrit is the percentage of your blood made up of red blood cells, carrying oxygen around your body.

When another asked if he was on the drugs again, McGregor asserted he has not and will not ever take any mind-altering substances.

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images

Instead, with the fight going the way it did, McGregor said he was awaiting surgery and planning his recovery, with zero mind-altering substances entering his body.

“However, it went the way it went, and I am awaiting my surgery and planning my recovery, so zero mind-altering substances have entered my body whatsoever. More time under extreme discipline is required and that is it. I find extreme discipline most enjoyable anyway, so happy days.”

Marc Cucurella had the Spanish left flank completely locked down during their Tuesday night tie against France, as the Spaniards booked a place in the World Cup final. Their spot in the final means that they will be met with the USA President Donald Trump after the game to receive their medals and a potential trophy.

For Cucurella, it will be his second meeting with Trump, having crossed paths with him at the Club World Cup final with Chelsea, where Trump presented the Blues with their medals and trophy.

Trump is a powerful man with a big presence, so it was no surprise that Cucucrella was wary of meeting him last time.

Cucurella’s Awkward Encounter With Trump

REUTERS/Lee Smith

Cucurella first met Trump at MetLife Stadium, where the Club World Cup final was being held. Chelsea were facing PSG in the final, and the English side came out on top with a 3-0 victory thanks to a Cole Palmer brace and a goal from Joao Pedro.

For the big occasion, Donald Trump was in attendance at the game and was invited onto the pitch at the end of the game to be a part of the trophy lift celebrations, but Cucurella remembers that the players were given very specific instructions.

According to The Sun, via Gerard Romero, Cucurella said: “We had been told that, as a rule, Donald Trump would come to present us with the trophy and that we couldn’t lift it until he left.”

It seemed a simple task to give a trophy to the team captain and then step off the stage to watch the players lift the trophy, but Cucurella recalls the exchange being awkward.

“We were all there waiting for him to leave, but the guy didn’t want to leave, and on top of that, we looked at him, and he said, ‘Lift it up, I’ll stay here.'”

For the Chelsea players, it put them in a tough situation as to whether they should follow the original instructions and wait for Trump to exit the stage, or follow the President’s orders and lift the trophy with him present.

For a player who has come up against some of the best wingers in world football, it comes as a surprise that the USA President is the person to strike fear into him.

Luckily for the Spanish left-back, the situation eased, and Reece James went ahead and lifted the trophy with Trump smiling on stage, who now claims he keeps the original trophy in a cabinet at the White House.

A Second Meeting at MetLife Stadium

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

With Spain having their place in the World Cup final booked, it means that Cucurella could reacquaint himself with the President once again, with Trump expected to be in attendance at MetLife Stadium once again.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has already confirmed that Trump will be presenting players with the trophy at the final on Sunday evening.

Although Cucurella won’t have the job of receiving the trophy from Trump, as that responsibility goes to the captain, Rodri, so his woes are spared there, the new Real Madrid full-back will be hoping for a much smoother encounter with the American President.

A member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning squad has called on US President Donald Trump to intervene after being barred from the USA ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final.

Joan Capdevila is a former left-back who was capped 60 times by Spain between 2002-2011. He was part of the Spanish squads that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

The 48-year-old played for several top Spanish clubs including Atletico Madrid, Deportivo La Corona and Villarreal.

Capdevila Begs Trump to Help Over ESTA Issue

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However, his status as a World Cup winner hasn’t prevented him from being denied entry to the United States for the biggest match of the year between Spain and Argentina.

The retired full-back tweeted: “I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump. They just told me that I can’t travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied.

“Can anyone help me with this? You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my teammates from 2010 and this team to cheer them on. I can’t believe they won’t let me enter the U.S. … and that I’ll miss a moment like this with my kids, who love soccer so much… If anyone knows how to fix this, I’ll be eternally grateful.”

Capdevila Reveals Why He’s Been Barred From US

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In an interview with Spanish radio station COPE, per USA Today, Capdevila said he’s been denied an ESTA because he played a match in Iran 10 years ago.

Back in 2016, a team of La Liga legends – featuring the likes of Fernando Morientes, Marcos Senna and Capdevila – traveled to Tehran to face a team of all-stars.

It seems Capdevila’s brief appearance in Iran a decade ago has cost him the chance to be at the 2026 World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

Headlines were made at the start of the tournament when Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States and subsequently missed the World Cup.

There were also numerous incidents of fans being denied ESTAs despite spending thousands of pounds on tickets, travel and accommodation.

However, Capdevila is the most notable former professional who has been unable to enter the USA for this summer’s showpiece international tournament.

The former defender now looks set to miss Spain’s second appearance in a World Cup final, 16 years after winning football’s most prestigious trophy for the first time in South Africa.

Spain head into Sunday’s final as narrow favourites following their impressive 2-0 victory over the much-fancied France in the semi-finals

However, they face a fiercely-passionate Argentina side who are determined to retain the World Cup trophy, with the peerless Lionel Messi in scintillating form despite the fact he recently celebrated his 39th birthday.