Conor McGregor’s return vs. Max Holloway announced for UFC 329 in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – The Notorious is back. 

Ahead of the main event of UFC Fight Night at the Meta Apex on Saturday, UFC officially unveiled Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway as the main event of UFC 326 at International Fight Week in Las Vegas on July 11. The fight is set to take place four years and a day after McGregor’s last fight at UFC 264, where he broke his ankle against Dustin Poirier and left a city full of his adoring fans wondering if they would ever see him step foot in the Octagon again. 

The earliest odds for the bout favor Holloway, who lost the BMF title to Charles Oliveira in his last fight after a vintage performance from “Do Bronx” at UFC 326. Despite the loss in March,  Holloway has fought seven times since McGregor’s last appearance in July 2021 and has gone 5-2 in those fights, with signature wins over Justin Gaetjhe and Dustin Poirer that are two of the most notable of his career. 

The bout actually marks the second meeting between McGregor and Holloway during their careers, although neither were in their prime when McGregor defeated Holloway by unanimous decision in 2013.

McGregor has headlined International Fight Week twice before, once in 2015 when he beat Chad Mendes by TKO at UFC 189 and in 2021 when he suffered the fateful injury against Poirier. It will be McGregor’s ninth overall fight in Las Vegas, where he’s gone 5-3 during his career in the UFC. 

Strategically, the UFC’s unveiling of McGregor and Holloway’s fight came during the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card on Netflix. The Netflix event, which also features former UFC stars Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou, has been billed as a direct competitor to the UFC and is what some believe could be the start of a new alternative path for MMA fighters to earn more revenue. Not to be outdone, the UFC’s unveiling occurred while Ngannou was making his walk to the Octagon, and the conversation promptly shifted back to the old guard with the announcement of what many consider the biggest MMA fight of the decade. 

In the co-main event of UFC 329, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett will look to bounceback from his first UFC loss in January against Benoit St. Denis, who has won his last four fights and is coming off a TKO of Dan Hooker at UFC 325 in February. Some other bouts on the main card include Corey Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista and Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanaugh, in addition to Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison.