Conor McGregor’s UFC return announced
The long-awaited return of UFC superstar Conor McGregor has officially been set.
McGregor, the former UFC Lightweight and Featherweight Champion, will return to the Octagon at UFC 329 on July 11 when he faces Max Holloway. It will headline UFC’s annual International Fight Week event, taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The fight was officially announced by Dana White on his Instagram during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 276 event on Paramount+ after being rumored for several weeks.
McGregor will be fighting for the first time since July 2021, when he suffered a broken lower tibia in a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, losing in the first round after the ringside doctor stopped the fight. It was McGregor’s second straight loss to Poirier, and he has just one win in his last four fights.
McGregor has had plenty of time in the limelight since then, appearing in the remake of Road House and becoming a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He also married his long-time partner, Dee Devlin, in a ceremony in December.
He also appeared as a coach on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler. The season was supposed to culminate in a fight between the two in June 2024, but McGregor pulled out of the fight due to a broken toe. He also served an 18-month suspension for failing to disclose his whereabouts under the UFC’s drug policy, with the suspension coming to an end in March.
McGregor and Holloway fought once before at a UFC Fight Night event in August 2013 in Boston. McGregor won that bout by unanimous decision. Both have since gone on to become decorated champions and future Hall of Fame fighters. That fight took place at 145 pounds, and the rematch will take place at 170 pounds.
The current UFC 329 card includes:
-Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
-Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
-Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
-Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
-Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
-Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
-Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka
-Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez
-Cesar Almeida vs. Damian Pinas
-Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong
-Ode Osbourne vs. Cody Durden
-Zachary Reese vs. Ryan Gandra
MMA writer & live coverage specialist, contributor to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter