Conor McGregor to Return Against Max Holloway at UFC 329

It's official: Conor McGregor is returning to the octagon.

During the UFC Vegas 117 broadcast on Saturday, it was announced that McGregor's comeback will headline UFC 329. He is set to face Max Holloway in a long-awaited rematch of their 2013 bout. The event will take place on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, serving as the grand finale of International Fight Week 2026.

McGregor returns after a five-year hiatus that began when he broke his leg in his third fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021. The Irish superstar was slated to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but a broken toe forced him to withdraw from the event just weeks before the fight date.

Following that injury, rumors of McGregor's return swirled for a long time, but nothing was finalized, and for a while, it seemed he might have fought his last fight.

However, the news that the UFC would host a special event at the White House motivated McGregor to get back in the gym and return to fighting shape. Although he didn't make the card for the June 14 event in Washington, he continued his training and is now expected to fight in July.

As for Holloway, the rematch against McGregor comes 13 years after he established himself as one of the best fighters in the world. Following his loss to McGregor in 2013, the Hawaiian went on a remarkable 13-fight winning streak, which included two consecutive victories over José Aldo to win and defend the featherweight title.

His most impressive performance came at UFC 300, where he delivered one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history, felling Justin Gaethje with just one second left in their match.

In his last outing, Holloway lost a decision to Charles Oliveira in a bout for the 'BMF' title, but the Hawaiian fighter will now look to get back on the winning track while seeking revenge for his loss to McGregor.

The rest of the UFC 329 fight card is as follows:

Benoît Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett
Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
Brandon Royval vs. L'oner Kavanagh
Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison

Prelims:

Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III
Damien Pinas vs. Cesar Almeida
Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez
Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Tsun
Ode' Osbourne vs. Cody Durden