The rumors have been confirmed: Conor McGregor is set to make his long-awaited return at International Fight Week. The former two-division champion will face off against ex-featherweight kingpin Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329, scheduled for July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout was announced during the UFC Fight Night 276 broadcast on Saturday night. The news came during the "Rousey vs. Carano" main card on the Most Valuable Promotions event. McGregor vs. Holloway 2 will take place at welterweight.

More Than a Decade in the Making

McGregor and Holloway first faced each other early in their promotional tenures, with McGregor taking a unanimous decision over Holloway at UFC Fight Night 26 on August 17, 2013. Despite suffering a torn ACL, McGregor won the fight, an injury that would sideline him for about 10 months after the victory.

McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He was supposed to return against rival "Ultimate Fighter 31" coach Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024, but McGregor pulled out the week of the event due to a broken toe. Holloway last appeared at UFC 326, where he relinquished his BMF crown to Charles Oliveira in the main event on March 7. While McGregor has been sidelined, Holloway has remained one of the UFC’s most beloved stars, adding to his legend with an iconic knockout of Justin Gaethje to capture the BMF belt at UFC 300.

The rematch between these legends is set to headline UFC 329, with the event airing live on Paramount+.