Conor McGregor Set for UFC Return Against Max Holloway
Conor McGregor, the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, is scheduled to return to the octagon for the first time in five years. He will face Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329, taking place in Las Vegas on 11 July.
The 37-year-old Irish fighter has not competed since suffering a broken leg in his 2021 defeat to Dustin Poirier. McGregor was initially slated to make his comeback against American Michael Chandler in 2024 but withdrew just over two weeks before the fight due to a broken toe.
This upcoming fight with Holloway will be a rematch of their 2013 featherweight encounter, which McGregor won by decision. Holloway, aged 34, presents a challenging opponent as he has consistently fought at the highest level in the lightweight division in recent years.
McGregor's Career and Achievements
McGregor is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in mixed martial arts history. Since his UFC debut in 2008, he has amassed 22 wins and six losses. He made history as the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight world champion by securing the featherweight title in 2015 and the lightweight title in 2016.
Despite his success, McGregor's career has been marked by controversies. In 2024, he accepted an 18-month suspension for violating the UFC's anti-doping policy after missing three drug tests within a 12-month period. The ban was backdated to September 2024, the date of the third missed test, and concluded in March 2025.
Throughout this year, McGregor has undergone eleven external drug tests conducted by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), more than any other UFC fighter.
Legal Issues and Controversies
In November 2024, McGregor was ordered to pay £206,000 in damages plus legal costs to Nikita Hand, who accused him of rape in a Dublin hotel in 2018. Ms. Hand also announced in August her intention to sue McGregor and two others for damages, alleging malicious abuse of court processes.
McGregor's legal troubles extend further back. In 2018, he was arrested in New York for throwing a metal dolly at a bus window carrying UFC fighters and staff. The following year, he was convicted and fined €1,000 (£850) for punching a man in a Dublin pub after the man declined his offer of a drink.
Rise to Fame and Notable Fights
McGregor gained widespread attention after winning his first five UFC fights, captivating fans with his confident and charismatic personality. In 2015, he defeated Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title and later that year knocked out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds to claim the undisputed featherweight championship—the fastest finish in UFC title fight history.
After becoming a two-division champion in 2016, McGregor crossed over to boxing in 2017 to face Floyd Mayweather in a high-profile bout. He then returned to MMA but suffered a defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 in the UFC's highest-selling pay-per-view event ever.
McGregor's only victory in the last decade came in 2020 when he defeated Donald Cerrone.
