Conor McGregor Vs. Max Holloway Officially Announced For July

The Conor McGregor comeback date has been officially announced for July 11th at UFC 329, where he will square off with Max Holloway during International Fight Week 2026.

Conor opened with the biggest underdog odds of his career at +350, while Holloway sits at a comfortable favorite at -500. This is because McGregor most recently stepped into the UFC octagon back in 2021 for his trilogy match with Dustin Poirier, which resulted in a TKO loss caused by the Irishman breaking his leg. He had his return match scheduled for 2024 against Michael Chandler, following the pair coaching opposite one another on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, but unfortunately the match did not come to fruition because of another injury.

Back in April, McGregor made his first fighting appearance since the Poirier trilogy, entering the boxing ring on Good Friday in Dublin for a surprise match with local amateur Barry Nolan. Many took this exhibition match as a clear indicator that he was getting himself back into the right headspace to compete.

Late last week, speculation was building that McGregor’s announcement was coming this weekend, as White confirmed earlier in the month that plans were in good shape for the former two-division champion’s return ‘sometime this summer’.

For Max Holloway, this match is an opportunity that was long in the making, as the former BMF champion fell short on the judges’ scorecards to McGregor back in 2013, quite early into both competitors’ UFC careers.

UFC CEO Dana White made the announcement of McGregor’s return on social media while inside the Meta Apex for UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa. Many noted the timing of this announcement as it coincided with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou’s walkout in California for his match with Philipe Lins on the first-ever Netflix MMA card. White and Ngannou have not been on good terms since the pair parted ways back in 2022 over what the former UFC heavyweight champion referred to as ‘unfair treatment’.

CONOR MCGREGOR vs MAX HOLLOWAY 2 !!!!

Your International Fight Week main event is confirmed!

[ #UFC329 LIVE July 11 on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/uVxVdgV9Gm

— UFC (@ufc) May 17, 2026