Dillon Danis says Conor McGregor was in a 'dark place' after UFC 329 injury but is now focused on comeback

Dillon Danis says Conor McGregor went through "a dark place" after his comeback at UFC 329 ended in seconds, but insists the former two-division UFC champion is now in a good spot and fully focused on fighting again. Danis, a longtime friend and training partner of McGregor, gave the update to MMA Fighting's Mike Heck in an interview published on Wednesday, October 21 (U.S. time), during fight week for his own RAF 14 wrestling match against Arman Tsarukyan in Las Vegas.

"He was in a dark place"

McGregor's first fight in five years lasted just 69 seconds. At UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11, his right knee gave way after a jumping kick in the opening exchange against Max Holloway, and the bout was stopped as a TKO due to injury at 1:09 of the first round. McGregor later said he had torn his ACL and meniscus, and Danis says he has since had ACL reconstruction surgery.

"Obviously after the fight you could only imagine how someone could feel coming [back] after five years and that happening that fast," Danis told MMA Fighting. "He was in a dark place. Any human being will. I'm not going into details what we talked about because that's obviously personal but as a human, how would you feel? The biggest comeback and that happens."

McGregor himself described his state of mind in similar terms on the night of the injury, writing on social media that he was "beyond dark" and that he could "only describe it as hell," according to GB News.

Nurse, rehab and isolation in Los Angeles

According to Danis, the Irishman is now handling his recovery away from the spotlight.

"Now his head's a lot better. He has a 24/7 nurse with him. He's doing all the exercises. He's isolated himself in L.A. doing all the right things for his knee and he's focused on coming back," Danis said. "There's no one that will tell him he's not fighting again, you're never going to be the same, all the bullshit that everybody says, when that guy has his head on something it's blinders."

Danis added: "He is focused right now. I talk to him almost every day and he's in a good spot right now and I'm happy to see it."

What comes next for McGregor

McGregor has one fight left on his current UFC contract. In July, he said he believed he could return "by next summer", and MMA Fighting reports that he has repeatedly targeted International Fight Week 2027, which usually takes place in July. Nothing has been offered or booked.

McGregor's name has also come up in boxing talk this week: Floyd Mayweather said on a podcast that he and McGregor "may lock up again", nine years after their 2017 boxing match. Neither McGregor nor the UFC has commented on that idea.

Danis, meanwhile, has his own business this week. He faces UFC lightweight contender Tsarukyan for the inaugural RAF middleweight crossover title in the RAF 14 main event on Friday, October 23, and told MMA Fighting he expects to pin Tsarukyan.