Conor McGregor’s long-awaited UFC return was over in 69 seconds after a right-knee injury handed Max Holloway a technical-knockout win at UFC 329. Reports indicate that McGregor secured a guaranteed payment of at least $15 million. Business estimates put his earnings closer to $30 million, or over $434,000 per second he spent inside the UFC Octagon.

Thekabarnews.com—Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the UFC lasted just 69 seconds inside the Octagon. However, the Irish superstar could still pocket one of the biggest paydays in mixed martial arts history.

Training for more than five years, McGregor came back to the Octagon to take on Max Holloway in a welterweight rematch at UFC 329 on Saturday, July 11. A sold-out crowd filled T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the event.

The two-division former champion started the fight with a flying left roundhouse kick. He came down on his right knee awkwardly. McGregor made several more attempts to attack before having difficulty staying upright.

Holloway saw the injury and told referee Mike Beltran to stop it. The referee stopped the fight at 1 minute and 9 seconds of the first round. This handed Holloway the technical knockout victory. The UFC’s official result confirmed the finish time of 69 seconds.

UFC President Dana White said doctors initially suspected a possible anterior cruciate ligament injury. Yet soon after the incident, officials had not made any formal medical diagnosis.

No official source has confirmed McGregor’s final pay. The UFC does not regularly disclose fighters’ full pay, including pay-per-view shares, discretionary bonuses, and promotional income.

According to The Sporting News, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported that McGregor received a minimum base payment of $15 million before earning any additional revenue.

Commercial estimates have him earning between $30 million and $32 million in total after pay-per-view participation, sponsorships, and promotional payments. BetMGM put McGregor’s total compensation at roughly $32 million.

If the $30 million estimate is correct, McGregor earned about $434,783 per official second he spent in the fight. That $32 million payout translates to about $463,768 per second.

Even the alleged $15 million base pay is about $217,391 for every second in the Octagon.

Despite a long layoff and losses lately, McGregor is still the UFC’s biggest historical pay-per-view draw. His 2018 fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov reportedly sold 2.4 million pay-per-view buys. This was the most ever for a mixed martial arts event.

The injury was yet another painful comeback for McGregor. His last fight was in July 2021, where he broke his left leg against Dustin Poirier. He entered UFC 329 with a 22-6 record as a pro. Nevertheless, he left with a 22-7 mark after Holloway improved to 28-9.

It was a big win for Holloway. For McGregor, the 69-second return again came with a serious injury—but perhaps tens of millions of dollars.