​Conor McGregor has returned to action, and he looks sharp, already displaying the kind of form that fans might remember from his peak. This Saturday in Las Vegas, he headlines UFC 329 against Max Holloway. The fight is a rematch of their 2013 clash, which McGregor won by decision, but more importantly, it marks the first time in five years that “Notorious” will be back inside the cage since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
Ahead of his comeback, there’s been widespread curiosity about what’s driving McGregor this time around. Beyond the familiar, widely cited motivations—the love of competition, the chance to test himself again—he offered a fresh explanation during a recent ESPN interview: he wants to remind fans of how good he once was. “I have many things that I’ve taken in this camp that have been fuel to my fire,” McGregor said. “One— the greatest featherweight of all time. This ranking system of the greatest featherweights, I’ve beaten these men and haven’t been on the list. How have I beaten these men easily and handily and yet be kept from the list? All things. Whose the greatest featherweight? What’s my skill level? That’s why I love Max as an opponent; he’s fought so many people. He’s had a very impressive body of work inside the octagon. He’s for sure a future Hall of Famer, and you know, I get to go in and showcase my level against, and I’m excited for it. It’s perfect for me.”
The question of who deserves the title of greatest featherweight of all time has sparked debate for years, with Jose Aldo and Alexander Volkanovski often at the center of the discussion, and Max Holloway himself having been considered in the mix at times. Yet McGregor rarely enters those conversations, largely because his time in the division was brief. He won his first seven UFC bouts at featherweight, capturing a knockout victory over Aldo, before moving up to lightweight and never returning to defend a featherweight title. Still, McGregor downplays the criticism, acknowledging it while not letting it define him. “That’s a fair shout, for sure,” he said. “I understand why. I understand the whys of it, but you cannot get caught in all of this. What is the skill? Who is the best? Who is the greatest? Who is the best? And it is me, and the results show this. It’s not like the fights weren’t there. They were just elsewhere. Divisional changes, which originally was not of my — was not me. It was a fighter pulling out or things of that nature that led to it. So, I understand it; however, I don’t agree with it. I am the greatest featherweight since Bruce Lee, and on Saturday night I will show it.”
A key caveat for fans hoping to see a continuation of McGregor’s featherweight dominance is that his upcoming bout with Holloway is set at 170 pounds, effectively a welterweight matchup rather than a featherweight title defense. That distinction underscores one of the central tensions in McGregor’s career: he built his legacy at 145 pounds, but he has consistently pursued opportunities up a weight class, whether in pursuit of a lightweight title, major superfights, or other challenges. In weighing that decision, McGregor has shown a willingness to chase bold goals, a mindset that has defined much of his career, for better or worse.
When reflecting on the path away from the featherweight division, McGregor said he harbors no regrets about leaving to chase a lightweight title and take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing match. He stands by his choice, insisting that the broader pursuit of challenges and opportunities is what ultimately matters. “I have no regrets,” he stated. “I did what I needed to do at the time, and I would do it again. The pursuit of greatness isn’t confined to one weight class.”
As the UFC 329 showdown approaches, McGregor’s aim is to demonstrate the breadth of his capabilities, regardless of weight. He insists that his legacy as a fighter extends beyond any single division and that his performance against Holloway will speak for itself. Fans are watching not just for a return to form but for a statement: that Conor McGregor remains among the sport’s elite, capable of delivering marquee moments, even after years away from the cage and after bridging multiple weight classes. The result on fight night may go a long way toward shaping how his career is viewed moving forward, but McGregor’s confidence remains unabated: he’s intent on proving that he’s still the best, and that the greatest featherweight debate, in his view, should include his name alongside the all-time greats.