Conor McGregor Set to Fight Max Holloway in Massive UFC Bout

Conor McGregor is finally back, and it's against a familiar face.

Jul 10, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor fights Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor will finally return to the Octagon this summer after a five-year hiatus, serving as one-half of UFC 329's main event attraction Saturday, July 11, in Las Vegas.

The event is set to mark the tipping point of the UFC's International Fight Week, as McGregor's return to the promotion will see him face ex-rival Max Holloway. Holloway, the former UFC Featherweight Champion and "BMF" titleholder, is familiar with "The Notorious."

Both men shared the Octagon in Aug. 2013, with McGregor earning a unanimous decision en route to winning the eventual featherweight and lightweight championships in Dec. 2015 and Nov. 2016, respectively.

Conor McGregor's UFC Reunion Gets Familiar Foe

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McGregor's last fight saw him suffer an ankle injury against former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout in July 2021 at UFC 264, a dark scene as a frustrated McGregor left the Octagon in agony and on a stretcher after some choice words for Poirier and his family.

With Poirier retired and former TUF coach Michael Chandler booked to face Mauricio Ruffy at the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., on June 14, McGregor's options for who he'd return against were few and far between. Thus, the UFC is renewing a rivalry that has been nearly 13 years in the making.

Despite there being no title on the line, McGregor remains one of the UFC's biggest stars, as his UFC 229 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov (which also took place at the same venue, the T-Mobile Arena) drew 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, the promotion's biggest event to date.

Easiest Way To Stream Conor McGregor's UFC Comeback Fight

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Nearly eight years later, the UFC is no longer on pay-per-view in the U.S. And for new customers of Paramount+, $8.99 a month is enough to watch Holloway-McGregor 2, every UFC live event, archives, shoulder programming and much more without the hassle of additional fees.

McGregor is aiming for his first win since Jan. 2020, needing 46 seconds to beat Donald Cerrone to begin a chaotic stretch for the UFC as it was one of the few sports to carry on with live events during the global pandemic.

By the time McGregor's return happens, the promotion will have already completed its one-of-one UFC Freedom 250 event while MMA fans await more madness. A McGregor return, loved or hated, would certainly do that as the summer momentum ramps up in short order.

Should McGregor win, the sport's landscape may return to levels not seen in a decade-plus.

But only time will tell.