UFC has officially locked in the long-awaited return of one of MMA’s biggest stars, former two-division champion Conor McGregor. The Irishman is scheduled to step back into the Octagon at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week.
One of the sport’s most anticipated comeback fights is now official: Conor McGregor will face Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week. The booking gives the promotion a marquee main event in its biggest summer spotlight and instantly turns the card into one of the most commercially important events of the year.
Holloway, the former featherweight champion and ex-BMF titleholder, will meet McGregor for the second time. Their first matchup came in August 2013 at UFC Fight Night in Boston, where McGregor controlled all three rounds and won a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26. More than a decade later, both men are far bigger names, and the stakes feel much different now.
McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken left tibia in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Since then, his name has remained a constant presence around the sport through comeback talk, business ventures and crossover fame, but this is the first real test of whether he can still matter at the elite level. For McGregor, this fight is about more than a return — it is about proving he can still shape a title picture instead of just selling pay-per-views.
The bout is expected to take place at welterweight, marking Holloway’s debut in the division. That wrinkle matters. Holloway has built his reputation on pace, durability and volume, and American fans know him as one of the toughest style problems in the sport. If he beats McGregor at 170, he immediately becomes one of the most intriguing wild cards in a crowded weight class. If McGregor wins, UFC suddenly has a legitimate blockbuster option for another major fight before the end of the year.
Las Vegas is the fitting backdrop for all of it. International Fight Week crowds tend to lean heavily into spectacle, and McGregor remains the company’s biggest attraction when he is active. The biggest question now is whether his comeback will look like a revival — or the start of one last run.
