​Conor McGregor has touched down in Las Vegas and is taking in the vibes at the T-Mobile Arena, where he will collide with Max Holloway on July 11 for UFC 329. In a chat with ESPN, the Notorious star said he’s thrilled to be back in action and intends to keep the momentum going now that he’s competing again. “Oh man, I love this arena,” McGregor said. “I love fight night, fight week. And God willing, I’m back here next week and the week after—how many weeks are in a year? 54? Here you go, I could fight every week if it’s a go, you know? Before the injury, I had maybe three within the year. People don’t recall that. And, yeah, there you go. We plan on getting busy here.”
Yet there’s a snag. The UFC, McGregor’s promotion, appears more inclined to slow his roll than to help him squeeze out the last two bouts on his current contract. McGregor previously disclosed that the promotion had floated April 2027 as a target for his next appearance. That news clearly irked him. He has long sought a “season of fighting”—a steady cadence of events—well before the COVID era, and he’s been fighting to keep that schedule intact.
“I wish for it,” he said when asked about a rapid return. “So if I’m the man in the arena, right? I’m the one making the walk. If I’m the one pushing further and campaigning for it, I’m sure that [will be] the case. Now I’ve said my piece with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and their staging of my bouts, and they’ve said theirs. And it’s kind of fallen on, ‘Let it happen on Saturday night, and let’s talk.’ And I’m fine with that. I’m absolutely fine with that.”
As of now, two fights remain on his current contract. This upcoming bout will be followed by one more, and McGregor remains hopeful that the sequence will continue. “Two fights left on the contract. It’s still as is. This one will be, then one. So I hope to keep going, and I’m optimistic that will be the case.”
Some observers charge that the UFC has effectively frozen McGregor out and is slow-rolling his return. McGregor himself has groused about the challenges of eliciting a fight date from the promotion, though his own recent history hasn’t helped matters—he has drawn scrutiny for occasional withdrawals from drug-testing programs, suspension for whereabouts violations, and an unusual, tongue-in-cheek bid to become Ireland’s prime minister. Still, it’s clear that McGregor remains consumed by the sport and focused on the moment.
For now, the big question lingers: how long will this peak period last, and how long can UFC keep the light on McGregor’s star? As fight night approaches, all eyes will be on whether the promotion strikes while the iron is hot and whether McGregor can translate his renewed enthusiasm into a sustained run at the pinnacle of the sport. SEO-wise, this matchup and the surrounding contract drama are exactly the kinds of headlines that can drive traffic, with fans eager to see if McGregor’s current burst of intensity will sustain over a longer stretch or fade once again into the background.