Conor McGregor will return to the cage this summer to face Max Holloway for a second time, with the fight taking place at welterweight on July 11. The Irishman, who has been inactive for five years since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, will be boosted by the weight class change.
McGregor has fought at 170lb on three occasions, including bouts against Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone, while Holloway has never competed at welterweight. The Hawaiian has fought four times at lightweight, most recently losing to Charles Oliveira earlier this year.
The rivals first clashed 13 years ago, with McGregor outpointing Holloway in Boston despite a knee injury. Since then, both have become world champions at featherweight and lightweight respectively. McGregor earned a reputation as a KO artist and has not gone the distance since his rematch with Diaz a decade ago.
However, McGregor's long absence may affect his stamina if the fight goes the distance. He had been scheduled to return against Michael Chandler in 2024, but the bout was cancelled due to a broken toe. Last October, McGregor accepted an 18-month doping ban for whereabouts failures, but is now eligible to compete.
Last year, McGregor lost his appeal against a civil jury's finding in favour of Dublin woman Nikita Hand, who accused him of rape. The UFC 329 card also features British star Paddy Pimblett against Benoit Saint Denis, and Lone'er Kavanagh facing Brandon Royval.
