​We’re here, folks—mostly gentlemen, or, to put it bluntly, the dudes in the room—because it’s fight week for Conor McGregor. UFC 329 goes down this Saturday, and with it comes the Return of the Mac. Will he actually step into the cage? What happens after? And where does Max Holloway fit into the picture? Let’s break it down.
Will McGregor show up? For months, I’ve argued that his return isn’t driven by a desire to add to his legacy or to feel the thrill of competition. Yes, those factors may play a small part, but the real motive, as I’ve long maintained, is that he wants out of the UFC, and the only way to unlock that exit is to fulfill his current contract. McGregor likely has substantial wealth already, and even with legal fees and other costs, he probably doesn’t need to fight. If he wanted to pursue other ventures, there’s no shortage of lucrative opportunities outside the sport. But fighting remains his most profitable path, and he stands to earn far more if he fights for himself rather than under the UFC banner.
The UFC has taken a large share of the money generated by fights, especially for a star like McGregor. For midcarders, the split might seem fair enough, but for him, it isn’t. He’s well aware of that imbalance. Outside the UFC, McGregor could plausibly amass hundreds of millions in a couple of years through high-profile bouts with Nate Diaz, Jake Paul, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, and perhaps even Mike Perry or Mike Tyson. The UFC is not going to approach those numbers, so why stay if the goal is true financial freedom? Yet, to reach that freedom, Conor still has to fight. So, come hell or high water, McGregor is scheduled to fight this Saturday.
If Conor or Max Holloway somehow doesn’t make it to the cage, or if the remaining participant agrees to fight the rumored backup, Mauricio “Ruddy”—how would they fare against the Brazilian striker in question? To start with, Mauricio Ruffy is not the official backup for Saturday, and I don’t believe there is a formal backup plan in place. Still, Ruffy is positioning himself to step in, and that’s a savvy strategic move. If it happens, that would be a major win for Ruffy in terms of exposure and opportunity, and even if it doesn’t come to pass, he’s laid the groundwork to fight the winner. Smart self-promotion.
Now, if I’m wrong and Conor (or Max) withdraws from the event in the next day or two, and Ruffy gets the call, how would that night unfold? Against Conor, it wouldn’t be much of a contest. Ruffy would face an uphill battle in terms of power, reach, experience, and the global audience McGregor commands. The bout would be billed as an opportunity for Ruffy to show he belongs at that level, but the reality is that the odds would be stacked heavily against him.
In short, the narrative remains consistent: McGregor is eyeing a path to true freedom from the UFC, and Saturday’s fight is a crucial step toward that exit. Whether it’s McGregor, Holloway, or an emergency backup stepping in, the implications extend beyond one night and one bout. This is about leverage, contracts, and a fighter who has always navigated the business side with as much cunning as the octagon.