Dana White already has multiple paths in mind if Conor McGregor turns his UFC 329 comeback into a win over Max Holloway.
McGregor and Holloway meet Saturday night in Las Vegas, with McGregor returning after five years away from the Octagon. Holloway is not being treated like a soft landing, and White said that is by design during an interview with The Mac Life.
White was asked why the UFC booked McGregor straight into a former featherweight champion and current BMF titleholder instead of giving him a tune-up fight.
“You won’t see tune-up fights in boxing anymore either,” White said. “This is not a tune-up fight. It’s not what we do. And it’s not something Conor would want to do, either.”
White said the matchup fits both fighters because of where they stand in the sport.
“When you’re at the level that both of these guys are, you want to fight the best,” White said.
Watch White’s full interview with The Mac Life below:
Dana White Says UFC 329 Opens A Big Board
The most important line came when White was asked what a McGregor win would do for the UFC’s options. He did not name the opponents or divisions, but he made it clear the promotion has already thought through several outcomes.
“Anything is possible if he wins on Saturday night,” White said.
White also said the winner is taking a major step at a strange point in both careers. McGregor has been inactive since the Dustin Poirier trilogy in 2021. Holloway has stayed busy, rebuilt at lightweight, and entered UFC 329 trying to turn the rivalry into a second win and a possible trilogy case.
“Whoever wins on Saturday night, it is a big win,” White said. “It’s a big step up in their careers, especially at this point in time. These are two guys that have done it all.”
“I got like five scenarios in my head if Conor wins,” White said. “And I got like three for Max if Max wins. So, it’s huge for both of them.”
That does not mean the UFC has locked in a specific next fight. White framed the McGregor-Holloway winner as a moving piece in a year that has already included surprise planning around the White House event.
“Who saw the White House coming, that that would happen?” White said. “I didn’t see this fight coming.”
White said he previously thought McGregor would fight, then changed his mind when the return stalled. That uncertainty, he said, is part of what keeps the sport moving.
“It’s what keeps this thing fun,” White said. “We have an idea of what we think the rest of the year looks like, but things will happen that we don’t see coming.”
The comment adds another layer to a fight week that has already been loud. MiddleEasy covered McGregor saying Holloway only wants a trilogy “for cash” while predicting Holloway’s retirement, then the press-conference faceoff where McGregor ripped Holloway’s sunglasses away.
White Praises McGregor As Business Partner
White also pushed back on the idea that McGregor has been a difficult promotional relationship during the long gap between fights. His only complaint was the familiar one about timing.
“Conor is a great business partner,” White said. “If you told me, say something bad about Conor, the only thing that I could say is he doesn’t show up on time.”
White then said McGregor was early for Thursday’s UFC 329 press conference and eager to get started.
“Today, he was early,” White said. “He was actually, I was getting texts from him that he was bitching at me. Listen, I want to get this thing going.”
White closed with a larger compliment, saying McGregor’s return still changes the room for everyone around the promotion.
“You cannot complain about being in business with Conor McGregor,” White said. “It’s always good to have him. He’s the biggest star in the sport ever.”
“There’s been two guys that are that entertaining at a press conference,” White said. “That’s Muhammad Ali and him. Period.”
That praise is important because McGregor has repeatedly hinted that he wanted to fight sooner. MiddleEasy previously covered McGregor saying the UFC had finally “honored” him with the Holloway rematch. Now White is saying the promotion has a big board ready if McGregor wins.
Holloway can ruin all of it. But if McGregor gets through him, White made clear UFC 329 will not be treated like a one-night nostalgia play.
