Conor McGregor is wasting little time getting back to business after undergoing knee surgery, with the former UFC two-division champion filming a wild MAC Energy commercial alongside fitness influencer Ashton Hall just eight days after his operation.
McGregor’s appearance is particularly striking because of how recently he underwent surgery. The commercial was filmed only eight days after the Irishman had surgery on his right leg following the injury he suffered against Max Holloway at UFC 329.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
The high-energy production, filmed in California’s San Fernando Valley, featured McGregor in tactical gear as part of a military-inspired action sequence. McGregor and Hall shared footage from the collaboration on social media.
Conor McGregor and Ashton Hall Link Up
The commercial was produced for MAC Energy, the energy drink brand McGregor launched in July.
The former UFC champion has increasingly focused on business ventures during his latest absence from competition, and the new advertisement puts him front and center in an action-heavy setting (via Conor McGregor on X):
McGregor acknowledged the unusual timing himself when he shared the finished commercial.
He wrote, “8 days post-surgery. Doctor said rest. I said load the fkin belt. This is MAC ENERGY,” while tagging Hall and welcoming him to the “MAC movement.”
Hall, a popular fitness influencer and social media personality, joined McGregor for the project. Footage from the shoot shows Hall performing several physically demanding stunts, including running through an obstacle-filled environment, while McGregor appears later in the video wearing tactical equipment (via Ashton Hall on Instagram):
Hall also appeared enthusiastic about the collaboration, describing the experience as a “war with my brother” in a social media post.
McGregor’s Serious Knee Injury
The commercial comes less than six weeks after McGregor’s long-awaited UFC return ended in chaos. McGregor faced Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 on July 12, but the fight lasted just 1:09 after McGregor suffered a knee injury.
(Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Holloway won by first-round KO/TKO.
The injury was especially disappointing because UFC 329 marked McGregor’s return to the Octagon after a lengthy absence. His previous UFC appearance had come in July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg during his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier.
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/GettyImages
McGregor later revealed that the injury involved his ACL and meniscus, and that he would undergo surgery.
McGregor’s Aggressive Recovery Process
The MAC Energy shoot is not the first indication that McGregor intends to attack his rehabilitation aggressively. Through his social media channels, he has been posting updates of his rehabilitation process:
Those updates should not be interpreted as evidence that McGregor is ready to resume MMA competition. ACL and meniscus injuries typically require substantial rehabilitation, and McGregor’s appearance in a commercial does not establish a medical timetable for his return.
Still, the shoot provides another glimpse at how McGregor is approaching the latest setback. Rather than disappearing from public view, he has remained active in his business ventures, rehabilitation updates, and plans for another UFC appearance.
McGregor is targeting a return in 2027, with a focus on completing the final remaining fight on his UFC contract.
Despite the multiple hurdles he must cross to get back into the Octagon, McGregor clearly has no intention of quietly stepping away from the spotlight.
