​LAS VEGAS (AP) — Conor McGregor says he is ready to return to the Octagon and believes he will dominate Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. At 37, the Irish fighter is stepping back into action for the first time in more than five years, stepping up to a welterweight bout that many consider a favorable matchup for McGregor. “Hallelujah! The Mac is back,” he proclaimed on Wednesday.
McGregor and Holloway previously met in a featherweight contest back in 2013, a bout decided by unanimous decision in which neither fighter had ascended to the superstardom they would later achieve. In a remarkably short period, McGregor’s profile exploded, elevating him to one of the most recognizable figures in combat sports. On Wednesday, he acknowledged that he allowed the trappings of stardom to pull him from focus after he captured championships in two weight classes and became a central figure in MMA.
“I launched an Irish whiskey brand,” McGregor said. “I didn’t drink heavily, if at all, during that peak period. I was at the top of my game as an athlete. Then, all at once, thousands upon thousands of bottles were piling up in my garage. I got swept up in it. I wasn’t used to it, and that’s the truth. God gave me these lessons. That’s it. I was trapped and caught, and it is what it is.”
Undoubtedly, McGregor’s life over the past several years has been marked by controversy and legal entanglements, including a civil finding in a rape case in 2024. Prosecutors declined to press criminal charges, and McGregor reiterated on Wednesday that he remains confident he will be exonerated. “I’m an innocent man, and I’ll stand for my innocence until the day I pass,” he said. “There’s a reason it didn’t proceed to a criminal trial and went to civil court. It is what it is. It stings deeply, but I keep fighting.”
As for his forthcoming clash, McGregor (22-6) will take on Holloway (27-9) in what many view as his most substantial test in years. Holloway’s last fight—a unanimous decision loss to Charles Oliveira on March 7—will serve as a counterpoint to McGregor’s return. McGregor hasn’t fought since July 10, 2021, and he spoke with unwavering confidence about his comeback. “The weight is on point, the body’s on point, my mind is sharper than ever, the plan is set, and I’m ready to go to war,” he stated. “I intend to contort Max’s body into uncomfortable positions and have my way with him.”
McGregor endured a traumatic broken leg in his most recent bout, a trilogy contest with Dustin Poirier, and subsequently withdrew from a scheduled fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 due to a broken pinky toe. Holloway, meanwhile, has stayed active, fighting eight times since McGregor’s last appearance, and he is determined to avenge his loss to Oliveira while also contemplating a personal score to settle with McGregor dating back to 2013.
“I’m going in there to put paws on him,” Holloway, now 34, declared. “I’m going to make him wish he’d chosen a different path.” He even teased that his performance might be so impactful that it would at least help with search engine optimization, underscoring the intensity of the motivation behind this highly anticipated bout.