CONOR MCGREGOR WILL return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon for the first time in five years when he takes on Max Holloway in a non-title rematch on 11 July in Las Vegas, UFC said Saturday.
McGregor, a former two-weight champion and still one of UFC’s most famous and bankable fighters, hasn’t fought since suffering a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier on 10 July 2021.
July’s return at UFC 329 will be a rematch of his second UFC fight, in August 2013, when McGregor beat Holloway in Boston despite suffering a torn knee ligament during the bout.
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The 37-year-old Dubliner had withdrawn from a planned comeback fight in June 2024 with a toe injury.
McGregor has dealt with multiple issues outside the Octagon.
In November 2024, McGregor was found civilly liable in a High Court damages case in Dublin taken by a woman who accused him of rape.
Nikita Hand, also known as Nikita Ní Laimhin, won her claim against McGregor after accusing the professional fighter of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
In December, a woman who accused McGregor of sexually assaulting her at an NBA game in Miami dropped her civil lawsuit against him, authorities having already declined to pursue criminal charges.
A month earlier, McGregor was suspended for 18 months after missing three drug tests in a 12-month period, escaping a longer ban after Combat Sports Anti-Doping said he cooperated with their investigation into the missed tests.
UFC announced the bout during the first MMA promotion by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions outfit, a card in Los Angeles highlighted by Ronda Rousey’s return against Gina Carano.
Conor McGregor to make UFC return with Holloway rematch in July
CONOR MCGREGOR WILL return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon for the first time in five years when he takes on Max Holloway in a non-title rematch on 11 July in Las Vegas, UFC said Saturday.
McGregor, a former two-weight champion and still one of UFC’s most famous and bankable fighters, hasn’t fought since suffering a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier on 10 July 2021.
July’s return at UFC 329 will be a rematch of his second UFC fight, in August 2013, when McGregor beat Holloway in Boston despite suffering a torn knee ligament during the bout.
The 37-year-old Dubliner had withdrawn from a planned comeback fight in June 2024 with a toe injury.
McGregor has dealt with multiple issues outside the Octagon.
In November 2024, McGregor was found civilly liable in a High Court damages case in Dublin taken by a woman who accused him of rape.
Nikita Hand, also known as Nikita Ní Laimhin, won her claim against McGregor after accusing the professional fighter of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
In December, a woman who accused McGregor of sexually assaulting her at an NBA game in Miami dropped her civil lawsuit against him, authorities having already declined to pursue criminal charges.
A month earlier, McGregor was suspended for 18 months after missing three drug tests in a 12-month period, escaping a longer ban after Combat Sports Anti-Doping said he cooperated with their investigation into the missed tests.
UFC announced the bout during the first MMA promotion by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions outfit, a card in Los Angeles highlighted by Ronda Rousey’s return against Gina Carano.
- With reporting from The Journal
– © AFP 2026
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