{"id":67784,"date":"2026-05-17T01:22:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T05:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/conor-mcgregor-set-to-return-to-ufc-ring-after-nearly-four-year-absence\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T01:22:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T05:22:20","slug":"conor-mcgregor-set-to-return-to-ufc-ring-after-nearly-four-year-absence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/conor-mcgregor-set-to-return-to-ufc-ring-after-nearly-four-year-absence\/","title":{"rendered":"Conor McGregor Set to Return to UFC Ring After Nearly Four-Year Absence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Former dual-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is scheduled to step back into the octagon on July 11 in Las Vegas, UFC President Dana White revealed during Saturday evening’s UFC event.<\/p>

The Irish fighter will face off against Hawaiian competitor Max Holloway in the featured bout at UFC 329, taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The match will occur in the lightweight\/welterweight division. McGregor hasn’t competed since sustaining a leg fracture during his bout with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.<\/p>

Known for his dynamic striking abilities and provocative promotional style, McGregor joined the UFC in 2013 and rapidly rose to become mixed martial arts’ most recognizable figure. In 2016, he captured the UFC lightweight championship while already holding the featherweight title, making history as the first fighter to simultaneously possess two UFC championships.<\/p>

McGregor’s bold personality resonated with audiences worldwide, and he played a significant role in elevating MMA from a sport once criticized by U.S. Senator John McCain as “human cockfighting” into mainstream popularity.<\/p>

His crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather in August 2017 earned the Irishman substantial financial rewards, though he has competed in MMA only four times since defeating Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight championship on November 12, 2016, suffering defeats in three of those contests.<\/p>

The 37-year-old McGregor was originally scheduled to face former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in June 2024, but that bout was canceled due to a toe injury sustained during training.<\/p>

Subsequently, an Irish civil court jury determined he was liable for the rape of Nikita Hand in 2018.<\/p>

In October 2025, McGregor accepted an 18-month suspension for “whereabouts failures” after missing three sample collection attempts by Combat Sports Anti-Doping in 2024. The suspension was applied retroactively and concluded in March.<\/p>

Should McGregor compete against Holloway on July 11, it will mark exactly five years and one day since his leg injury against Poirier.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor will return to competition on July 11 in Las Vegas against Max Holloway. The Irish fighter hasn’t competed since suffering a broken leg in July 2021 against Dustin Poirier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[836],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778995340479.jpg?fit=450%2C335&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-hDi","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62915,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/ufc-fighter-holloway-training-for-mcgregor-bout-without-signed-contract\/","url_meta":{"origin":67784,"position":0},"title":"UFC Fighter Holloway Training for McGregor Bout Without Signed Contract","author":"Admin","date":"May 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is preparing for a potential July rematch with Conor McGregor despite having no official contract. The fighters previously met in 2013, with McGregor winning by unanimous decision.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778120528973.jpg?fit=450%2C306&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":72342,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/top-ufc-lightweights-saint-denis-and-pimblett-set-for-vegas-showdown\/","url_meta":{"origin":67784,"position":1},"title":"Top UFC Lightweights Saint Denis and Pimblett Set for Vegas Showdown","author":"Admin","date":"May 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Two highly-ranked UFC lightweight fighters will clash on July 11 in Las Vegas as part of the McGregor vs. Holloway 2 event. 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Multiple sources indicate the Irish fighter is negotiating a summer rematch against Max Holloway for July.","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1778628142596.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43807,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/mixed-martial-arts-event-planned-for-white-house-lawn-on-trumps-80th-birthday\/","url_meta":{"origin":67784,"position":3},"title":"Mixed Martial Arts Event Planned for White House Lawn on Trump’s 80th Birthday","author":"Admin","date":"March 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The UFC will stage a mixed martial arts competition on the White House grounds in June to celebrate President Trump's 80th birthday and America's 250th anniversary. 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