Conor McGregor will return to action at UFC 329 on July 11. |
Getty/UFC
Everything is in place for Conor
McGregor to make his first Octagon appearance since July
2021.
McGregor will face Max
Holloway in a rematch at UFC 329
on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While their first
meeting was contested at 145 pounds, the return date will take
place in the welterweight division. Perhaps most importantly, the
Irish star is happy with the financial terms that led to his
UFC return.
“It’s like a musical – music to my ears, it is. I’m out so long,
five years,” McGregor told Mac Energy (via Championship Rounds).
“My body’s fresh. My mind is sharp. I’m ready to come back. I’ve
got a great opponent. I’ve got a great deal off the UFC. I’m very,
very happy, They honored me, finally.
“July 11, and the opponent is a man I’ve beaten before in Max
Holloway. He’s an established fighter, an accomplished fighter,
former UFC world champion, multiple time. So this is a quality
opponent, and our last bout was martial arts mastery by yours
truly, so I plan on doing it again. I plan on showing my growth and
my improvements in there, so I’m very, very excited for it.
Preparation is going very well. We’re living, breathing and
sleeping in the gym.”
New Media Rights Deal, New Contract?
The fact that McGregor is satisfied with his contract is no small
thing. The Dublin native indicated earlier this year that his old
deal with the Las Vegas-based promotion was
”void” due to the UFC’s new media rights deal with Paramount.
McGregor benefitted greatly from pay-per-view points in the past,
and those are gone now with all numbered UFC events available via
Paramount+ for a monthly subscription fee.
Despite suffering a torn ACL in the bout, McGregor defeated
Holloway via unanimous decision in their first meeting at UFC Fight
Night 26 on Aug. 17, 2013. The former UFC two-division champ has
teased a return on multiple occasions in recent years, but he still
hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin
Poirier at UFC 264. McGregor was scheduled to return against
Michael
Chandler at UFC 303, but he withdrew from the event on the week
of the fight due to a broken toe.
Conor
McGregor spoke about the Max
Holloway rematch for the first time 👀“I’ve got a great deal off the UFC. They honored me, finally.”
“Preparation is going very well. We’re living, breathing, and
sleeping in the gym.”“The opponent is a man that I’ve beaten before. Our last… pic.twitter.com/AWcNvO78g9
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
May 25, 2026