Conor McGregor appears to be seriously preparing for his potential UFC comeback. The Irish fighter has been hinting at a return to the Octagon for an extended period, but these plans have repeatedly failed to materialize, leading to a decline in fan anticipation. McGregor was previously set to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024, but had to withdraw due to a toe injury, further delaying his much-anticipated return.
Last year, the former two-division UFC champion expressed a strong desire to compete on a White House card and rejoined the anti-doping testing pool. However, UFC CEO Dana White consistently downplayed these aspirations, and it was eventually confirmed that McGregor would not be fighting on June 14, as announced with the UFC Freedom 250 lineup.
However, it now seems that Conor McGregor may finally have a return date on the horizon, as he has been training with renewed vigor. The 37-year-old fighter recently shared a series of photos from his latest sparring session on Instagram. His accompanying caption was particularly striking, appearing to address his critics: “Legs still sharper than a guillotine. Training with the young wolves, sharpening the blade. The return is coming whether they like it or not.”
Veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported on a recent episode of “The Ariel Helwani Show” that Conor McGregor might make his return against former rival Max Holloway at UFC 329. This event is scheduled for July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will conclude the 2026 International Fight Week.
McGregor has been inactive since sustaining a broken leg in the first round of his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His last victory was in January 2020 at UFC 246, where he defeated Donald Cerrone with a quick 40-second knockout.
Meanwhile, Max Holloway was last seen at UFC 326, where he lost his BMF title to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira by a decisive unanimous decision. Prior to that, Holloway defeated Poirier at UFC 318 in July 2025.
McGregor first fought Holloway during his second promotional bout at UFC Boston in August 2014, securing a unanimous decision victory.
