Conor McGregor will return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) octagon for the first time in five years when he takes on Max Holloway in a non-title rematch on July 11th in Las Vegas.
McGregor, a former two-weight champion and one of the UFC’s most high-profile fighters, has not fought since suffering a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier on July 10th, 2021.
July’s return at UFC 329 will be a rematch of his second UFC fight in August 2013, when McGregor defeated Holloway in Boston despite suffering a torn knee ligament during the bout.
The 37-year-old Dubliner had withdrawn from a planned comeback fight in June 2024 due to a toe injury.
McGregor has also faced several issues outside the octagon.
In 2024, he was found liable and ordered to pay around $250,000 in damages to a woman who accused him of rape in Ireland.
In December, a woman who accused McGregor of sexually assaulting her at an NBA game in Miami dropped her civil lawsuit against him after authorities had already declined to pursue criminal charges.
A month earlier, McGregor was suspended for 18 months after missing three drug tests within a 12-month period. However, Combat Sports Anti-Doping reduced the potential length of the ban after stating that he had cooperated with their investigation into the missed tests.
The UFC announced the bout during the first MMA promotion by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions outfit, a card in Los Angeles highlighted by Ronda Rousey’s return against Gina Carano.
Source: AFP
