CONOR MCGREGOR’s long-awaited return to the UFC has officially been announced.
The Irishman will return from a FIVE-YEAR layoff on July 11 in the main event of 329 in Las Vegas.
Conor McGregor will make his grand UFC return on July 11 Credit: GETTY
The Notorious will be welcomed back to the cage by former foe Max Holloway Credit: GETTY
And he’ll be welcomed back to the cage by a familiar face.
Former featherweight rival Max Holloway has been tasked the job with welcoming the Irishman back to the cage.
The pair met all the back in August 2013 when they were fresh-faced 25 and 21-year-olds respectively.
McGregor won their Boston bust-up via unanimous decision despite tearing his ACL in the second round.
Both men have risen to international stardom since the Boston bust-up, with McGregor going on to become the face of mixed martial arts.
They’d both claim the featherweight title against Hall-of-Famer Jose Aldo.
McGregor, however, has one-upped the Hawaiian in terms of title hauls, having successfully become a two-division champion in November 2016.
The clash of fan favourites will be McGregor’s first since breaking his left leg in his trilogy fight with in July 2021.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway fought one another all the way back in 2013 Credit: GETTY
McGregor won the featherweight fight via unanimous decision Credit: GETTY
The Dubliner was set to make his cage comeback against rival Ultimate Fighter season 31 coach in June 2024.
But a broken left pinky toe scuppered the multi-million-pound Return of the Mac
McGregor vs Holloway II will top a STACKED International Fight Week bill at the T-Mobile Arena.
A mammoth lightweight melee between fan favourites and before McGregor and Holloway throw down.
Former welterweight king is also on the card, where he’ll look to snap a three-fight losing streak against Daniel Rodriguez.
And Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson will make his eagerly anticipated bow in ‘s top promotion against.
Conor McGregor hasn’t set foot inside the cage since breaking his left leg nearly five years ago Credit: AP
McGregor’s octagon return will be his first fight since he was found civilly liable for assaulting Nikita Hand at a Dublin Hotel in December 2018 – which he vehemently denied doing.
He lost his appeal of the verdict turned in at Dublin’s High Court in November 2024.
And the Supreme Court rejected the MMA star’s bid for a further appeal last December.
McGregor will look to pick up his first win in six and a half years when he renews his rivalry with Holloway.
Holloway will also bid to return to the win column after losing his BMF title fight to fellow fan favourite in March,
McGregor shot to fame after winning his first five fights in the UFC, with his brash personality proving a huge draw for fans.
He beat Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title in 2015 before knocking out Jose Aldo for the undisputed belt five months later in only 13 seconds – the fastest finish in UFC title fight history.
McGregor lost to Floyd Mayweather the following year in a lucrative boxing bout, before defeat by Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 in the biggest-selling UFC pay-per-view of all time.
He beat Donald Cerrone two years later but that triumph remains his only win in the last 10 years.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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