Mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor is rumored to return at UFC 329. So, who will he be fighting in his return to the Octagon?
McGregor has not fought since a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout at UFC 264 in July 2021. The Irishman broke his leg in that fight, and he has not fought for nearly five years since then, for a variety of reasons. He was previously set to fight Michael Chandler after the two coached on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2023, but that bout fell through, and McGregor has not been booked for a fight ever since, despite being the biggest star in MMA.
UFC president Dana White was recently asked about McGregor’s return date, and he confirmed that the promotion is working on it. There have been rumors that McGregor will fight at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and he will likely be the headliner if the UFC can get the deal done. The fight will likely be in the welterweight division at 170 lbs.
Without further ado, here are five potential opponents for the UFC return of McGregor.
- Max Holloway Rematch: The fight that makes the most sense for McGregor is a rematch with Holloway. These two previously met in 2013, with McGregor beating Holloway by decision. Ever since then, the two have been linked to a rematch, and now is the perfect time to do so. The UFC will likely try its best to give McGregor a striker in his return fight, and Holloway is someone who prefers to stand and trade on the feet. This is the perfect matchup for McGregor’s return, and the odds-on favorite to be booked.
- Charles Oliveira: After Oliveira beat Holloway at UFC 326 in March, McGregor took to social media to call the Brazilian out. Oliveira’s win over Holloway was dominant, but he was criticized due to a grappling-heavy approach despite the BMF belt being on the line. Given Oliveira would have a massive advantage on the ground against McGregor, it seems unlikely the UFC would book this for his return. But it would be a huge fight, and would give McGregor a chance to win the BMF belt, something he has always craved.
- Jorge Masvidal: Masvidal is reportedly in talks with the UFC to make his own comeback after having last fought for the promotion in 2023. Masvidal is on a four-fight losing skid, and he’s 41, but he knows how to sell a fight, and the trash-talking between him and McGregor would be legendary. Plus, he would be willing to stand and trade.
- Dan Hooker: Hooker is a top-10-ranked lightweight fighter, but also one who prefers to strike. The UFC seems likely to give McGregor a striker in his return, so Hooker has to be in the mix for his opponent, given that it would be an exciting fight.
- Paddy Pimblett: Pimblett is rumored to be fighting at UFC 329, but recent reports have him linked to a bout against Benoit Saint Denis. That being said, a fight between Pimblett and McGregor would be a monster fight for the UFC, especially in Europe, where these are two of the biggest MMA stars the continent has ever seen.
Conor McGregor is One of the UFC’s All-Time Greats
Say what you want about McGregor’s antics outside of the cage, but there is no doubt he is one of the UFC’s all-time greats and a sure-fire Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done.
McGregor was the first fighter in UFC history to hold simultaneous belts when he won both the UFC lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez and the UFC featherweight title from Jose Aldo. That ushered in a whole new era of fighters gunning for two belts, with fighters such as Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Henry Cejudo following in McGregor’s footsteps. But McGregor was the first to do so.
At face value, McGregor’s 10-4 UFC record isn’t anything special. But when you look closely, the quality of his victories is extraordinary, with notable wins over Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, Donald Cerrone, Eddie Alvarez, Nate Diaz, Jose Aldo, and Chad Mendes on his resume. Several of these fighters are UFC Hall of Famers, and several of them will be in the future. Plus, his losses in the UFC came to all-time greats like Poirier, Diaz, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, and there is no shame in those defeats.
McGregor is a Box-Office Attraction
McGregor’s fights always do big business for the UFC, as his cards always sell out at the ticket booth, plus they did massive pay-per-view numbers when the UFC had that financial model. The UFC PPV model is now dead as the promotion airs its fights on Paramount+, but McGregor’s return will no doubt bring many new subscribers to the platform, which helps both the UFC and Paramount+. And if McGregor’s return is set for UFC 329 in Las Vegas as expected, it will absolutely sell out T-Mobile Arena and potentially break gate records as ticket prices will likely be increased due to his potential inclusion on the card.
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