The UFC’s summer board is starting to look ridiculous if Ariel Helwani’s latest reporting holds.
According to Championship Rounds, citing Helwani, the current plan is still for Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway to land at UFC 329 on July 11, with Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry targeted for UFC 330 on August 15. That would give the promotion two massive cards in back-to-back months, with McGregor’s comeback sitting right in the International Fight Week spotlight.
“The UFC’s plan is still for Conor McGregor to fight Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11, and Islam Makhachev to fight Ian Garry at UFC 330 on August 15, per @arielhelwani”
Source tweet below:
https://x.com/ChampRDS/status/2048839994123444734
McGregor and Holloway already have history. They fought in 2013, with McGregor winning by decision before either man became a UFC champion. McGregor later became the first UFC fighter to hold two UFC belts at the same time after winning featherweight and lightweight gold. Holloway went on to become UFC featherweight champion, built one of the best 145-pound resumes ever, and moved into lightweight as a former BMF titleholder.
That is what makes the rematch more than a nostalgia bomb. McGregor has not fought since his 2021 trilogy loss to Dustin Poirier, where he suffered the leg injury that froze his comeback plans. Holloway is not the young prospect from their first fight anymore. He is a battle-tested all-timer with UFC records for significant strikes and total strikes landed.
UFC 329 Could Also Get Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis
Helwani also posted that Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis could be part of UFC 329, alongside McGregor’s return, Gable Steveson’s debut, Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista, and more. If that card survives matchmaking chaos, the MMA gods may actually be working overtime.
“It appears we could be getting BSD x Paddy at UFC 329, alongside a Conor McGregor return, a Gable Steveson debut, Sandhagen x Bautista, and more.
“If everything goes according to plan, we’re looking at a tremendous IFW.
“And fair play to Paddy—you could make the case this is his”
Helwani expanded on the matchup in the attached video.
“So him versus BSD on a potential Conor McGregor card, it’s huge,” Helwani said. “That’s huge. With Gable Steveson so far. International Fight Week is really like sometimes it doesn’t quite hit. This one, if everything we’re reporting goes according to plan, yeah, if everything goes according to plan.”
One panelist called Pimblett vs. Saint Denis a “banger” and pointed to the violence baked into that style clash.
“Paddy as we’ve seen in recent fights, he’s willing to go out on a shield,” the panelist said. “Even against Justin Gaethje, he took an absolute beating. He’s incredibly hard to finish. We haven’t seen it happen to him. And then BSD is a dude that is always hunting, always looking for a finish. It just has all the makings of an incredibly exciting fight.”
Helwani questioned whether Pimblett’s team would really want that kind of assignment after the damage he absorbed against Gaethje.
“I’m surprised,” Helwani said. “I love the fight. You can make a case that this is his toughest test in the UFC so far, right? You can make that case.”
The panel then framed it as a high-risk but serious opportunity for Pimblett.
“Paddy’s a gamer, man,” the panelist said. “He’s a gangster for taking this. It’s a fantastic fight. There’s stakes attached to it. Whoever wins is going to still be in a great shot to potentially get a title at one point. I love it. I love it. And you’re putting it potentially on a McGregor card. I love it.”
Helwani added that he still sees a path for Pimblett, even if Saint Denis would likely be favored.
“I’m with you that it is a tough fight,” Helwani said. “But I also think it’s a winnable fight. I think it’s a winnable fight for Paddy. I don’t think he’s out of the question to win this fight even though I do believe Benoit is going to be the favorite. I believe Benoit has the advantage. I don’t mind this for Paddy Pimblett. I actually think this is okay. I think he can find a way to win this fight.”
Watch Helwani’s clip below:
It appears we could be getting BSD x Paddy at UFC 329, alongside a Conor McGregor return, a Gable Steveson debut, Sandhagen x Bautista, and more.
If everything goes according to plan, we’re looking at a tremendous IFW.
And fair play to Paddy—you could make the case this is his… pic.twitter.com/OXoOfVoiyg
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 27, 2026
Pimblett and Saint Denis would be nasty matchmaking. Pimblett is a former Cage Warriors featherweight champion and a ranked UFC lightweight. Saint Denis is a former French Army Special Forces soldier and a pressure-heavy lightweight ranked above him. That is not a soft comeback spot after the Gaethje fight. That is walking straight back into a wood chipper with rankings attached.
The other names make the card feel even bigger. Gable Steveson brings Olympic gold-medal wrestling credentials into his UFC debut. Sandhagen vs. Bautista would add serious bantamweight stakes, with Sandhagen established as a longtime contender and Bautista pushing upward.
Then UFC 330 would reportedly bring Makhachev against Garry one month later. Makhachev is a former UFC lightweight champion and current welterweight champion in the latest record listings, with a résumé built on elite grappling, sambo, and a long UFC winning streak. Garry is a former Cage Warriors welterweight champion from Ireland and one of the top-ranked welterweights in the UFC.
If the promotion lands all of this, the summer schedule is not just strong. It is absurd. McGregor-Holloway gives UFC 329 the headline thunder, Pimblett-Saint Denis brings the just-bleed violence, and Makhachev-Garry would carry UFC 330 with real championship weight.
