Conor McGregor has claimed he has secured a “great deal” with the UFC as he prepares to return to the octagon after five years away. The Irishman will headline UFC 329 on 11 July at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, facing Max Holloway in a welterweight bout.
The fight comes 13 years after their first encounter, which McGregor won by decision. Both men have since become world champions, with McGregor also claiming lightweight gold. Holloway, 34, has never held the UFC lightweight belt but won the “Baddest Motherf*****” title at that weight, losing it to Charles Oliveira in March.
McGregor, 37, has fought at welterweight three times before, while Holloway will compete in the division for the first time. The Irishman’s contract has been a talking point, given he had two fights left on his deal before the UFC switched to a non-pay-per-view model. McGregor recently claimed his old contract was “void” due to that switch.
Speaking to former US Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill, McGregor said: “I’ve got a great opponent, I’ve got a great deal off the UFC. I’m very, very happy. They honoured me, finally.” He added: “11 July, Sin City, Las Vegas, and the opponent is a man that I’ve beaten before in Max Holloway.”
McGregor’s last fight ended in a broken leg during a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. He has since focused on preparing for all scenarios, saying: “I have found – as I have gotten more experience in the fight game – to work my way backwards from the worst-case scenario to the best-case scenario.”
The fight is part of the UFC’s International Fight Week. McGregor had expressed interest in fighting at a White House event on 14 June, but UFC president Dana White was non-committal.
