After slipping on a couple of attempted strikes, Holloway jumped to action and let punches fly before McGregor worked his way back to his feet. <\/p>\n
But after McGregor fell to the canvas again when he attempted a punch, Holloway was loath to strike his fallen opponent and instead gestured to referee Mike Beltran that McGregor might be hurt. <\/p>\n
When McGregor got back to his feet again, an attempt to put weight on the leg saw him wince and clutch at it, which forced Beltran to call it off. <\/p>\n
It was a deflating way for the card to end, with serious questions now hanging over McGregor\u2019s future in the sport. <\/p>\n
Speaking to media after the event, UFC boss Dana White said it was suspected McGregor had torn the ACL in his right leg. <\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody who knows anything about the fight business, and it\u2019s been a big topic of discussion leading up to this fight, five years off in this business is rough,\u201d White said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was expecting at least a one-round war. Who knew what Conor was capable of as far as cardio and whatever else after a five-year layoff? <\/p>\n
\u201cThere you go. We\u2019re assuming it\u2019s a blown ACL.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the result, Holloway became the fourth UFC fighter to claim wins by knockout in three different divisions, alongside McGregor, American Jared Cannonier, and the first New Zealand-born UFC champion Robert Whittaker. <\/p>\n
Whittaker achieved the feat earlier in the event, suggesting the light heavyweight division perhaps should fear The Reaper. <\/p>\n
In his first appearance at 92.9kg, Australian Whittaker made his presence felt. <\/p>\n
The 35-year-old claimed a third-round TKO win over No 12-ranked Nikita Krylov, landing a strong right hand in the final round that saw Krylov concede defeat immediately. <\/p>\n
It was a big moment for Whittaker, who had run his race at middleweight (83.9kg) – a division in which he was champion between July 2017 and October 2019. <\/p>\n
Jumping straight into the deep end in his light heavyweight debut, Whittaker got the test he expected from Krylov. <\/p>\n
The size difference was clear and Krylov tried to use that in the first round as he worked Whittaker to the fence and looked to implement his grappling. <\/p>\n
Australian-based Whittaker found himself in a few uncomfortable positions in the round, but managed to thwart Krylov\u2019s efforts and end the round on his feet, throwing punches. <\/p>\n
It was a tight first round, but Whittaker began to take over in the second. While he was almost exclusively head-hunting with his strikes, Whittaker was having plenty of success with his punches and, as the faster, more explosive fighter, his movement was causing Krylov concern. <\/p>\n
Whittaker appeared to have Krylov in trouble in the second half of the round, before continuing in the same fashion when the third round began. <\/p>\n
It was a right hand to the jaw that ended the fight, with Whittaker catching Krylov as he tried to move back out of striking distance. <\/p>\n
The strike didn\u2019t noticeably wobble Krylov, but he immediately moved his jaw a couple of times before giving Whittaker a thumbs up and having the referee step in to end the bout. <\/p>\n
White said in the post-event press conference that Krylov was transported to hospital for assessment, but did not break his jaw as many people thought he might have done. <\/p>\n