Conor McGregor is officially heading back to the Octagon. UFC CEO Dana White announced on Saturday, May 16, that the former two-division champion will return this summer for a welterweight fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11.
According to ESPN, the matchup marks McGregor’s first UFC appearance in five years, ending one of the longest absences of his professional career. His last fight came on July 10, 2021, when he suffered a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier after breaking his leg in the closing seconds of the opening round.
Since then, questions around McGregor’s future in the sport have followed him through injuries, legal issues, business ventures, and public controversy.
McGregor and Holloway first fought in August 2013 during McGregor’s early UFC rise. McGregor won that bout by unanimous decision despite tearing his ACL during the fight. Holloway, who was still early in his UFC career at the time, later became one of the most accomplished featherweights in MMA history.
This time, the fight will take place at welterweight and arrives at a pivotal moment for both fighters. Holloway enters the matchup after a March loss to Charles Oliveira and is 1-1 since committing full-time to lightweight competition in 2025. McGregor, meanwhile, is looking to reverse a rough stretch inside the cage, having gone 1-3 across his last four UFC appearances.
McGregor was initially expected to return in 2024 against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but the fight was scrapped after he withdrew due to a toe injury. Outside the cage, his absence from competition has also been overshadowed by legal battles and intense public scrutiny.
In 2024, an Irish jury found him liable in a civil sexual assault case tied to a 2018 incident. An appeal was later denied in Ireland’s High Court in 2025.
At the same time, McGregor’s personal life has remained in the spotlight. Just months ago, he married longtime partner Dee Devlin in a ceremony held in Vatican City after more than 15 years together.
Devlin has remained publicly supportive throughout his career highs and personal setbacks, including legal proceedings and recent headlines involving another woman.
