McGregor set for UFC comeback in Holloway rematch

LOS ANGELES: Conor McGregor is due to return to the UFC Octagon for the first time in five years when he faces Max Holloway in a non-title rematch on July 11 in Las Vegas, the promotion announced on Saturday.

The bout is scheduled for UFC 329 and will renew a matchup from McGregor’s second UFC appearance in August 2013. In that contest in Boston, McGregor defeated Holloway despite sustaining a torn knee ligament during the fight.

McGregor, 37, from Dublin, has not competed since July 10, 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a defeat to Dustin Poirier. The former two-weight champion remains one of the UFC’s most recognisable and commercially successful fighters.

His return had previously been delayed after he pulled out of a planned comeback fight in June 2024 because of a toe injury.

Outside-the-cage issues

The announcement comes after a period in which McGregor has also faced several issues away from the sport.

In 2024, he was found liable in Ireland and ordered to pay about $250,000 in damages to a woman who accused him of rape.

In December, a woman who had accused McGregor of sexually assaulting her during an NBA game in Miami dropped her civil lawsuit against him. Criminal charges had already not been pursued by authorities.

A month earlier, McGregor received an 18-month suspension after missing three drug tests within a 12-month period. He avoided a longer ban after Combat Sports Anti-Doping said he had cooperated with its investigation into the missed tests.

UFC announcement

UFC revealed the fight during the first mixed martial arts event staged by Most Valuable Promotions, the outfit led by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The Los Angeles card was headlined by Ronda Rousey’s return against Gina Carano.

McGregor’s comeback is set to bring him back against a familiar opponent in Holloway, with the rematch marking his first UFC appearance since the injury he suffered in the Poirier fight in 2021.