The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s annual International Fight Week is always a big event but this year, it will be next level. On the night of the meeting between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, Dana White announced the fight between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway at UFC 329.Â
McGregor Returns
McGregor will be making his return to UFC after 5 years and the Irishman will be approaching his 38th birthday when the fight takes place on the 11th of July 2026, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The contest will be in the welterweight division, and McGregor will be hoping for a better outcome than his last UFC appearance, when he suffered a broken leg. McGregor lost that fight to Dustin Poirier, but can the UFC icon make a successful return to the octagon against Holloway?
The bookmakers think it is going to be an uphill task for McGregor, and he is priced as the outsider in the betting odds. Fans betting on the fight around the world should take advantage of special bonuses and UFC fans in India can do just that thanks to the 1xbet promo code India. Will McGregor prove the bookmakers wrong and cause an upset?
Tale of the Tape
McGregor has held both the UFC Featherweight Championship and Lightweight Championship while Holloway has won the UFC Featherweight Championship. Holloway’s most recent fight was a loss to Charles Oliveira by decision and that came in March 2026, making Holloway comfortably the most active fight of the two. Since McGregor’s defeat to Poirier in July 2021, Holloway has fought in 8 fights, winning 5 of those contents including a knockout victory over Justin Gaethje and a decision win against Poirier.
The fact Holloway has been active in the UFC the whole time McGregor has been absent must count for something. However, McGregor will point to the first time these two men met in the UFC. McGregor recorded a win by unanimous decision but that was back in 2013, so a lot has happened in the careers of both fighters since that occasion.
How the Fight Can be Won
There are doubts McGregor has what it takes to go the distance in this fight which means he will need a stoppage to succeed. That is something the Irishman is certainly capable of producing and his left hand will be something Holloway must respect. The question is, will that left hand be as lethal as it used to be?
In terms of Holloway’s preparation, this will be the first time he fights at welterweight. Thankfully for the American, this is close to his natural weight and means he will not have to endure a gruelling camp simply to make the weight for the fight. Holloway knows the key to winning this fight is to make McGregor work hard and tire in the latter stages. Having gone the championship distance 15 times in his career, Holloway knows how to do it and that is what could be the downfall of McGregor.
There will be a lot of hype surrounding McGregor going into this fight as he makes his long-awaited return to UFC. If the contest is three rounds, it gives McGregor a chance but if it is the regular main event distance of five rounds, it’s going to be an extremely tough fight and a big shock if McGregor wins.
