Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon after 1827 days ended in heartbreak as a devastating knee injury brought the UFC 329 main event to an abrupt end. Despite months of anticipation and pre-fight hype, the former two-division champion’s comeback lasted just 69 seconds before disaster struck, handing Max Holloway a TKO victory in one of the most anti-climactic finishes in recent UFC history.
McGregor later confirmed that he will undergo surgery to repair what is widely believed to be a torn ACL. In the aftermath of the loss, several fighters, including Islam Makhachev, Carlos Prates, and Paddy Pimblett, took aim at the Irishman, mocking his ill-fated return. However, Javier Mendez chose a very different approach.
The longtime American Kickboxing Academy head coach, who has spent years in the corner of McGregor’s fiercest rivals, refused to pile on. Despite the former two-division champion’s bitter rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov and the wider Dagestani camp, Mendez instead expressed sympathy for the way McGregor’s comeback came to such a cruel end.
Speaking during a recent appearance on Submission Radio, the AKA boss said, “To have a warrior like him train as hard as he did after a five-year layoff and come back, and to have something like that happen, your heart has to go out to the guy.”
He added, “Look, I may not like him as a person at times, but I have to respect what a great warrior he is. To see him go out that way is not the way I would want anyone to go out.”
Mendez admitted that, like many fans, he was hoping to see McGregor settle his rivalry with Holloway inside the cage rather than have the contest end because of injury. He added, “You’d want him to go out doing what they came out there to do: perform. Either the other man was the better man or you were the better man, but he beat himself on that one, and I feel for him.”
The veteran coach concluded by saying McGregor deserved a definitive outcome against Holloway, whether it was a victory or a defeat earned through competition. He concluded with, “That’s not something I wouldn’t want for anybody. He deserved to either become victorious or lose to Max, but that’s the way it needed to go.”
Javier Mendez pays respect to Conor McGregor, calling him a true warrior despite the heartbreaking ending to his return.🙏
“To have a warrior like Conor train as hard as he did after a five-year layoff and make a comeback, only for something like that to happen, your heart has… pic.twitter.com/R1QfRJibjY
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 13, 2026
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It was a remarkably gracious response from a coach who has guided champions such as Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, Luke Rockhold, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. The comments were particularly noteworthy given McGregor’s repeated criticism of the Dagestani during UFC 329 fight week.
The Irishman had claimed that Nurmagomedov’s undefeated 29-0 career lacked the risks that define greatness, arguing that the former lightweight champion never pursued fights in multiple weight classes and did not consistently face elite competition throughout his run. Those war of words, however, have now taken a back seat. McGregor faces another lengthy rehabilitation following his latest setback, but the 38-year-old has already made it clear that he intends to recover and return for the final fight remaining on his current UFC contract.
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