Longtime analyst Chael Sonnen sees two sides to the Conor McGregor story after a devastating octagon return at UFC 329.
After five years away from competition, McGregor (22-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) returned to rematch Max Holloway (28-9 MMA, 24-9 UFC) in Saturday’s headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The start of the fight was essentially the conclusion, because “The Notorious” came out with a jumping kick that ended in an awkward fall, and immediately it was clear it was going to end badly.
Advertisement
After a few more sequences where McGregor struggled to stay on his feet or throw any strikes with balance, referee Mike Beltran obliged to Holloway’s encouragement to wave it off. The end came just 69 seconds after it began, and the lack of finality, given the pre-fight hype, was clear from everyone in the arena and watching at home.
“It was one of these things where there was nothing to take away from it,” Sonnen told MMA Junkie on Sunday. “There was no redeemable quality. I would never kick a man when he’s down. I would always help him up. I feel Conor can handle this: Conor knew. And in many ways, it was a very courageous thing. You’ve got all these Conor haters out there like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this happened. Call him McFraud.’ Maybe we didn’t know that was what you were dealing with, but you did and you sucked it up and you made that walk anyway. There is another side of this. But ultimately the story is: We can’t do this work anymore.
“It was too big of an ask. Was there a pre-injury? Yeah. We saw that. I was convinced that Conor was there mentally in the right place. … I think Conor mentally was in the right spot, but the contest is physical. We’re remembering those kicks and everything else. There was one other moment, and it was the bad one for me where I go, ‘We can’t do this work anymore.’ It was actually a punch. Conor threw a punch and he went down. He fell forward like a drunk guy. All the way to his knee. He hadn’t thrown punches at full speed in so long, he lost his own balance doing it. No part of me is teasing. That was the real moment.”
Sonnen thinks McGregor, 37, was determined to step in the octagon no matter what at UFC 329 because he’s gone through so much since the last time he was seen, being taken out on a wheelchair after breaking his leg in a July 2021 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier.
Advertisement
The turmoil in McGregor’s life has been well documented over the years. From issues with substance abuse to being found liable for sexual assault by an Irish jury in 2024 and more, the former two-division champion has experienced transgressions that made many believe he wasn’t deserving of a UFC main event platform.
Nevertheless, he got one at UFC 329, and Sonnen thinks there’s a strong chance it’s the last. Not because of what he’s done outside the cage, but now because of what’s happening in it. McGregor has just one fight left on his UFC contract, and the severity of his injury – which remains unknown at the time of this writing – could hinge on whether he’s ever able to fulfill it.
Whether it’s a torn ACL as UFC CEO Dana White speculated at the post-fight press conference, or something less severe, Sonnen thinks it’s important for McGregor to get perspective on this moment. Is it worth continuing to compete if the body is repeatedly betraying McGregor? If the passion is that strong, Sonnen thinks it would also have to come with an acceptance that yesterday’s reality is not today’s. And he can’t envision McGregor getting on board.
“If you were to take (a serious injury) away, if we were to say, ‘Boy, we got lucky, in fact, a step further, the (doctor) misdiagnosed this, he’s completely fine.’ We don’t see him fight again,” Sonnen said. “You cannot main event him. You cannot repackage and sell this story, nor would they be interested. Chuck Liddell was very close friends with Dana White. Brock Lesnar just wanted to do it again. Anderson Silva said, ‘Hey, put me in one more time.’ Dana does not give back on that.
Advertisement
“I know this story gets told that he runs the evil empire and all he cares about is money. That just isn’t true. If Dana takes a look at Conor, thinks he could get hurt, or you don’t belong here and you’re taking someone else’s spot – no. If Conor wanted to be one of the guys on the card – BJ started opening the card. BJ Penn was third from the top in his final fight. He not only wasn’t the main event – he wasn’t the main card.”
Sonnen has some worries about how McGregor will mentally handle the UFC 329 fallout. McGregor’s social media posts in the hours after the fight painted a somewhat dark picture, but also resilience as he promised to return to competition.
How things ultimately evolve in the coming days and weeks as McGregor deals with the aftermath remains to be seen. Sonnen hopes he can relish all the positives in his life and focus on those, but McGregor’s track record is filled with evidence that may not be the case.
“I fear it’s going to be the opposite,” Sonnen said. “I fear that somebody that lives in that world of social media, the world loves me, the world hates – that can create a depression, and I don’t want to see him in a depression. … Right now is the time to lead and be an example.”
Advertisement
To hear more from Sonnen, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Chael Sonnen thinks Conor McGregor’s UFC career over: ‘You cannot main event him’
