Conor McGregor, the biggest star ever to step inside the UFC cage, will finally return on July 11 after five years away from the octagon. The matchmakers did not go easy on him for his comeback, as they matched him up with the extremely dangerous Max Holloway. Holloway will enter as a significant favorite against a man who has been out of action for so long and who, in the meantime, has dealt with a mountain of problems in his private life.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 Last Saturday, during the MVP event and Francis Ngannou’s entrance, UFC president Dana White announced via Instagram Live the return of the former two-division champion and absolute MMA legend, Conor McGregor.The Irishman will headline UFC 329, scheduled for July 11 in Las Vegas. Awaiting him is a rematch — this time at 170 pounds — against another former featherweight champion, Max Holloway. For McGregor, this fight is a chance to prove to everyone that a fighter’s heart still beats inside him and that, despite the hundreds of millions he has earned, he can still fight as if the fridge at home were empty. On the other side, Holloway finally gets the opportunity to avenge the loss he suffered in their first clash 13 years ago.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Even though he has been gone for years, and even though everyone knows this is not the old McGregor who could put anyone’s lights out, his return will probably be the most watched event of the year. Conor is an institution in MMA — it does not matter if his chances of winning are slim, or even if a competitive fight is not expected. Everyone will still be in front of their screens to watch not only the fight itself, but also the press conferences and the entire circus that comes with the full “McGregor experience.”Five years is an extremely long time for a fighter to stay away from the cage. McGregor spent that period first recovering from the horrific leg break he suffered in his last fight against Dustin Poirier, and then enjoying the jet-set lifestyle.Unfortunately, McGregor fell into all the traps laid out on the path of superstardom: alcohol, an admitted cocaine addiction, endless yacht parties, and long absences from training. Last year, the Irishman was even accused of sexual assault and had to spend a great deal of time in court. Although he was not convicted in criminal court, a civil court found him liable and ordered McGregor to pay the victim £206,000 in damages.🇮🇪 Here's the thing about Conor guys..👑 Almost 38-year-old Conor McGregor hasn’t fought in 5 years. He partied, drank a lot, built businesses, had a fourth child, got married. But one thing about the Irishman never changed — just like in his prime, he’s still willing to fight… pic.twitter.com/xsS3w9kthM— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) May 22, 2026 In all those circumstances, it is difficult for a person to fully dedicate himself to fighting and training. Still, McGregor has long insisted that he wants to fulfill his UFC contract, under which he still has two fights remaining.His first comeback attempt came in the summer of 2023, when he was scheduled to face Michael Chandler. Two weeks before the fight, Conor broke his little toe and had to withdraw. From there, he spiraled into the aforementioned problems, and silence followed until last weekend.Standing across from him in the cage will be a man who, during that same period, fought eight times, became the BMF champion, and delivered what many consider the greatest knockout ever against Justin Gaethje.🤔Ilia Topuria predicts Conor McGregor will beat Max Holloway and believes he could face Conor McGregor in the future “I think Conor is going to win, if he wins and he has one more fight, we could end up having that fight me vs Conor” via @CCLegaspi pic.twitter.com/KVNRwz9THp— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) May 22, 2026 Holloway has faced the best fighters on the planet, and there is no doubt that he enters the bout against Conor far sharper and with fighting skills that cannot even be compared to the level of opposition McGregor was facing back in 2013.Some still believe there is a fire burning inside Conor, that he is simply waiting for the opportunity to show everyone he is still the king of the octagon, still bigger than the sport itself. But reality in this sport can be incredibly cruel, and the dream comeback could very quickly turn into a nightmare for the man who, for many people, was their first introduction to the world of combat sports.##NAJAVA_MECA_9763915##
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