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Conor McGregor isn't just returning to the Octagon in July; he already knows when his next fight will be.
Next month, after a five-year hiatus, McGregor is set to face Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, the Irishman's comeback won't be a one-off. On Tuesday, he revealed to Yahoo! Sports that he has one more fight remaining on his current UFC contract after UFC 329, and a date for it is already set.
"I have a contract right now, and the dates for both my fights are clear," McGregor stated. "I have July 11th – when do you think they'll bring me back again? April 2027! That's almost a year later! It's ridiculous to me!"
When asked why such a long break was planned, McGregor responded that "that's how the contract was drawn up." It's clear that if it were up to him, he would fight twice in 2026.
"I don't care who the opponent is. Give him to me at the end of the year," McGregor said. "July, then the end of the year. Boom. And we sign a new deal. Not all the way in April. How many weeks are in a year? Fifty-two. So 52 fights, one a week. I want to get active, and I hope it happens. I pray to God, I love it. I believe in my ability to do it."
While McGregor wants to "get active," it might not happen within the UFC. The former two-division champion stated that he intends to explore his options as a free agent once his contract expires, unless the organization offers him an "incredible deal." Still, he emphasized that he would prefer to stay with the UFC if possible.
"I'm happy, to a certain extent," McGregor said. "There's still a lot to be desired. I hope it's with the UFC. I hope we reach an agreement. I hope to be honored even more. I will prove even more emphatically what I'm capable of. It wasn't that hard to reach these terms. We met in the middle. Does that meet my value? Probably not. Was it what they wanted to offer, or what they offered? Definitely not. We met in the middle. I'm a fair partner. That's how I operate. I love the Ultimate Fighting Championship and I would love to continue. Let's see how things unfold."
For now, however, McGregor has plenty of other concerns. The former two-division champion is fighting for the first time in five years and intends to put on a show next month, then think about the rest.
"I have July 11th," McGregor said. "That's very soon. That's positivity, happiness. I don't want to go into too much detail. I have a fight, I have a date, I feel great. Let's go, baby! 'Mac' is back! And I'm going to put on a show in this fight! This fight is a martial arts delight. It's an iconic match, a fan favorite."
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