UFC boss Dana White dropped a bombshell on Sunday, announcing the return of Conor McGregor against Max Holloway.
The Irish superstar will make his comeback against Holloway in the UFC 329 main event, with the pair set to clash in a welterweight bout on July 11 (July 12 AEST) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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It promises to be a huge build-up to what looms as one of the biggest fights in MMA history. Here are some of the key talking points.
THE TRASH TALK HAS ALREADY BEGUN
Shortly after confirmation of the blockbuster rematch, both fan favourites were already going at it on social media.
Holloway first posted a promotional video captioned: “July 11, the return of the MAX.”
McGregor quickly responded: “I’m gonna son you, child. Again.”
The former two-division champ defeated Holloway via unanimous decision when they first met in 2013 – famously doing so despite tearing his ACL during the fight.
McGregor later reminded Holloway of that victory by posting an iconic image from the bout showing him shoving “Blessed” across the face, alongside the caption: “You’re gonna put some respect on my motherf**king name.”
Holloway then fired back with footage of himself nearly dropping McGregor with a head kick during their first encounter, writing: “Nah big dog, you’re gonna put some respect on my name.”
McGregor’s first fight with Holloway was only the second bout of the Irishman’s UFC career as he launched a stunning run to featherweight gold, capped by his iconic knockout of José Aldo at UFC 194 in 2015.
McGregor later became the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champion when he stopped Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 the following year.
Since then, Holloway has cemented his own legacy as one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, winning the title and defeating the likes of Aldo, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.
Holloway has also been far more active than “The Notorious” in recent years, but McGregor appears unconcerned.
One fan posted on social media that the fight was “dangerous” for McGregor, prompting the Irishman to respond simply: “LOL.”
IS MAX A GOOD CHOICE OF OPPONENT?
Holloway is an excellent choice for McGregor’s comeback.
The pair both have history, with the Irishman taking a decision victory when they first met in 2013.
Holloway is also a fan-friendly striker who loves to stand and bang with opponents rather than use wrestling-heavy tactics. That style creates the kind of action-packed showdown fight fans love.
“Blessed” has been calling for the fight for years – and restated his intentions after his loss to Charles Oliveira for the BMF at UFC 326.
“Before the fight, I was talking about it,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel. “Conor’s got one over me. He’s talking about coming back. I’m coming off a loss. It would look pretty fun to get that one back with him.”
McGregor at his best is an exceptional striker, blending speed, power and athleticism. He absolutely has a chance to beat Holloway — especially in the early minutes of the fight.
Holloway hasn’t fought at welterweight before, so how he moves with the extra weight will also be interesting to see.
A win for McGregor would be immense and instantly set up any number of opportunities for the UFC icon, including a showdown for the BMF belt and possible superfights against the biggest names in the promotion.
The other blockbuster option the UFC could have made for McGregor is a trilogy showdown with Nate Diaz.
Diaz says the UFC tried to make it happen, but he isn’t interested in the fight right now.
“I know they wanted the Conor fight right now and that’s not what I’m about,” Diaz told Ariel Helwani. “I’m not trying to be a comeback story for Conor.”
McGregor was originally supposed to be fighting Michael Chandler before withdrawing with a toe injury.
Yesterday’s news is a tough break for Chandler, but Hollloway is a much bigger name for McGregor — and a tougher challenge.
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WILL THE FIGHT ACTUALLY HAPPEN? AND WHAT SHAPE IS MCGREGOR IN?
McGregor has had a bumpy few years, but he appears more focused than fans have seen him in a long time.
The Irishman’s coach, John Kavanagh, said McGregor is locked in mentally, and glimpses of him training on social media have been very promising.
He hasn’t fought in nearly five years and has left enormous money on the table by being inactive. The clock is also ticking on his athletic career, so the chances are very good that we see him in the Octagon in July.
McGregor has also dealt with major injuries, including that catastrophic leg break against Poirier in July 2021.
It’s hard to know the exact condition his body will be in when he steps back into the Octagon, but the signs are positive.
Even so, beating a seasoned Holloway is a huge ask, and right now the Hawaiian is viewed as a big betting favourite to get his hand raised.
NGANNOU’S HILARIOUS RESPONSE TO ANNOUNCEMENT
UFC boss Dana White made the announcement regarding McGregor’s return at almost the exact moment Francis Ngannou was making his walk to the cage in California on the Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano card.
While the timing became a talking point among fans online, the former UFC heavyweight champ appeared unfazed by it all.
“And what the f**k do I have to do with that? So I should stop my walkout and look at what’s going on with Dana?” Ngannou told reporters.
“I don’t care, bro.
“Let’s move on, life goes on. I’m doing my stuff here, I’m doing good, I have no problem.
“Everybody can do whatever they want.”
Jake Paul, however, did not seem nearly as amused.
Asked about White’s announcement strategy, Paul replied: “Ohh the c***head is back? That’s cool, bro. Drop it during our event, it doesn’t matter. That just shows how pressed they are.
“Little insecure boys trying to piggyback off our event and trying to put some news over the top of us. It’s not going to work, buddy.”
ROB WHITTAKER’S NEXT FIGHT CONFIRMED
Alongside the McGregor-Holloway announcement, White also unveiled the remainder of the UFC’s stacked International Fight Week card – including Benoit Saint Denis taking on Paddy Pimblett, the highly anticipated heavyweight debut of Gable Steveson, and the return of Australia’s Robert Whittaker.
“The Reaper” is set to take on dangerous light heavyweight Nikita Krylov in a huge test for the former middleweight champ.
The Aussie has not fought since his clash against Reinier de Ridder and will now move divisions in a bid to chase a title at 205 pounds.
Despite being one of the most respected veterans in the sport, Whittaker is notably not on the main card and out of the main spotlight for the event.
A victory in his new weight class would end any doubt about his form and open the door to showdowns with the best fighters at light heavyweight.
Whittaker has repeatedly spoken about testing himself against bigger and more dangerous opponents, and Krylov fits that brief to a T.
The 6’3” Ukrainian is known for his aggressive finishes and has extensive experience against some of the division’s biggest names.
Whittaker also took to social media following the announcement, posting simply: “Bobby 2.0.”
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The full card for UFC 329:
Main card
Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
Benoit Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett
Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanaugh
Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
Prelims
Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III
Damian Pinas vs. Cesar Almeida
Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez
Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong
Ode Osbourne vs. Cody Durden