[Official Announcement] 'Bad Boy' McGregor Confirms Return After 5 Years! Opponent Is the 'Bloodied' Holloway from 13 Years Ago... July UFC 329 Showdown

*This content was translated by AI.

Icon of mixed martial arts (MMA), 38-year-old Conor McGregor, will return to the octagon for the first time in five years after recovering from a severe leg fracture. His opponent is Max Holloway (35), a former Featherweight rival.

UFC officially announced on the 17th (Korean time) that McGregor will face Holloway in the main event of 'UFC 329' at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11.

This bout marks McGregor's return after breaking his left leg in his third fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was originally scheduled to return against Michael Chandler in June 2024, but the fight was canceled due to a fracture in his left pinky toe.

McGregor and Holloway will meet again for the first time since their August 2013 bout in Boston. At the time, 25-year-old McGregor secured a unanimous decision victory over 21-year-old Holloway despite suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the second round.

Both fighters later defeated Jose Aldo to become Featherweight champions, growing into global stars. McGregor, in particular, rose to become a two-division champion in November 2016, surpassing Holloway in their head-to-head title record.

The 'International Fight Week' event taking place today boasts an all-star lineup. Before the McGregor-Holloway showdown, Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis will clash in the Lightweight division. Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gabe Stevenson will also make his MMA debut at this event.

The UK's 'The Sun' reported that "McGregor enters this fight carrying legal risks outside the octagon." He was involved in a civil lawsuit for allegedly assaulting Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel in December 2018. He lost the appeal at the High Court in November 2024, and a further appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected in December last year. This will be his first fight since civil liability was finalized.

Both fighters are in desperate need of a victory. McGregor aims to secure his first win in six and a half years. Holloway, who lost the UFC BMF title to Charles Oliveira in March, is looking to turn the tide.

McGregor established himself as UFC's top draw immediately after his debut with five consecutive wins and his signature bold demeanor. He became the interim Featherweight champion by defeating Chad Mendes in 2015, and five months later, he knocked out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds—the shortest time in title fight history—to become the undisputed champion.

However, he lost to Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match the following year and also lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in the highest-grossing PPV (pay-per-view) event in history. His only victory in the past decade was defeating Donald Cerrone two years later.

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*This content was translated by AI.