Conor McGregor says he is entering UFC 329 sharper than ever after nearly five years away from the cage.
McGregor is set to face Max Holloway in the welterweight main event of UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight is a rematch of their 2013 meeting at UFC Fight Night 26, where McGregor beat Holloway by decision before either man became a UFC champion.
McGregor, a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, enters at 22-6 in MMA. He has not fought since July 2021, when his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 ended by doctor stoppage after McGregor suffered a broken leg. Holloway, a former UFC featherweight champion and former BMF titleholder, comes in at 26-9 after losing a decision to Charles Oliveira at UFC 327.
McGregor thanked fans on Instagram after the fight announcement and said camp already feels different.
“Thank you for all the love, support, and encouragement over the last few days, people. I am feeling very energized entering intense training camp because of it! I am very grateful for the team I have around me. My coaches and training partners, we are all fully tuned in for the challenge at hand and it is a glorious time in our gym!”
Then he put the comeback pitch in one line.
“I am better than ever, and I relish the opportunity to once again show my mastery in martial arts to the world.”
See McGregor’s post below:
McGregor Gets Holloway, Not A Soft Landing
The UFC did not hand McGregor a quiet tune-up. Holloway is one of the best pressure strikers the sport has seen, and his pace is a nasty test for anyone returning from a long injury layoff. McGregor has the cleaner historical result between them, but Holloway has spent the years since becoming one of the most durable volume fighters in UFC history.
McGregor became the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champion after the first Holloway fight, then boxed Floyd Mayweather and became MMA’s biggest business engine. Holloway built his résumé by dragging elite opponents into his tempo and making them survive round after round.
McGregor had been linked to Michael Chandler for years, including White House card talk Dana White later dismissed. The UFC landed on Holloway instead, and Jorge Masvidal has already weighed in, saying Holloway “smokes” McGregor “like a brisket” in the rematch.
McGregor has not won a combat sports bout since stopping Donald Cerrone in January 2020. Holloway needs a rebound after Oliveira beat him at UFC 327. UFC 329 now sends McGregor’s rebuilt version straight into Holloway’s pressure game.
