Conor McGregor Closer to UFC Return

Conor McGregor seems on the verge of making his return to the UFC. Sources have indicated that he is nearing an agreement to fight Max Holloway at UFC 329, which is scheduled for July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This matchup will see both fighters compete at welterweight, a significant step for Holloway as it will be his debut at 170 pounds.

A formal announcement could arrive soon, although there’s no immediate pressure. At 37, McGregor is reportedly deep into training as he prepares for his return to the Octagon in about eight weeks.

This fight marks McGregor’s first action since suffering a fractured femur in a bout against Dustin Poirier back in July 2021. Interestingly, there are discussions regarding whether this return fight will consist of three rounds instead of the usual five, which is somewhat atypical for main events.

Typically, main events are five rounds unless it’s a last-minute fill-in match, so asking for three rounds seems a bit unusual. Even with this fight not being for a title, it’s a surprising request not seen since a brief encounter between Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya at UFC 234.

While the event could be trimmed down to three rounds, it might be prudent to wait a bit longer before officially announcing it, especially with International Fight Week approaching.

Originally, McGregor was slated to face Michael Chandler in the summer of 2024, but he had to pull out due to an injury to his pinky finger. The UFC has been exploring various options for McGregor’s comeback over recent years.

UFC president Dana White expressed confidence, stating this week on “The Jim Rome Show” that he believes McGregor will indeed fight this summer, though he kept the opponent’s name under wraps.

Interestingly, Holloway and McGregor have a bit of history, having fought earlier in their careers when Holloway was only 20 years old and relatively new to the professional scene. McGregor won that fight by unanimous decision but suffered an ACL tear, which led to a lengthy recovery period.