McGregor to face Holloway in UFC 329 return

Conor McGregor will return to the UFC on 11 July at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, facing Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at T-Mobile Arena. It will be McGregor’s first appearance in five years after suffering a leg break in 2021 and withdrawing from a planned 2024 comeback due to a toe injury. The matchup revives their rivalry 11 years after McGregor outpointed Holloway at featherweight in 2013.

McGregor, 37, enters with a professional record of 22 wins and six defeats. He became the UFC’s first simultaneous two-weight champion by securing the featherweight title in 2015 and the lightweight belt in 2016. His most recent victory came in 2020, underscoring the long competitive gap he aims to close in July.

Holloway, 34, has remained a high-level contender and has competed at lightweight in recent years. Meeting at welterweight adds another layer of intrigue to a rematch that now unfolds two divisions above their original encounter.

Anti-doping suspension and recent testing

McGregor’s return follows the conclusion of an 18-month suspension for violating the UFC’s anti-doping policy after missing three drug tests within a 12-month period in 2024. The ban was backdated to the third missed test in September 2024 and concluded in March.

Since then, program data shows McGregor has been tested 11 times in 2026 by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), more than any other fighter on the UFC roster this year.

British names featured on UFC 329 card

Liverpudlian Paddy Pimblett is also slated to compete at UFC 329, taking on French contender Benoit Saint-Denis in his first bout since losing to Justin Gaethje in January. Additional British representation includes flyweight Lone’er Kavanagh against Brandon Royval and the unbeaten Luke Riley versus Kai Kamaka at featherweight.

Further bout order details and broadcast information for UFC 329 are expected closer to fight week, with attention fixed on McGregor’s camp updates and Holloway’s adjustments for a welterweight rematch over a decade in the making.