‘Curious’ question marks linger after five-year McGregor hiatus

Australian UFC legends Alexander Volkanovski and Robert Whittaker are both expecting Conor McGregor to lose in his comeback fight this weekend.

But even with their predictions, there’s an air of uncertainty as the 37-year-old returns to face Max Holloway after an extended five-year absence.

McGregor is the biggest star in UFC history who created history a decade ago as a double champion and is one of the most famous athletes on the planet, but hasn’t competed since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021.

In the same time span, his opponent this weekend in Holloway has fought eight times against elite-level talent including featherweight title-holder Volkanovski, newly-crowned lightweight champ Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.

There will be no ring rust for Holloway when he steps into the cage against his former rival McGregor, but that makes it “curious” viewing for everyone.

“I’m excited to see him [McGregor] back,” Whittaker told nine.com.au this week as he prepares for his own fight against Nikita Krylov on Sunday (AEST).

“Whether you love him or hate him, he made some monumental waves for the UFC and MMA as a whole, so to see him fighting again is great.

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“I am curious though, more than anything else. If you put a gun to my head I think Max gets it done, given he’s been in the game and having five-round fights.

“I think that side of things lends itself to Max and that will wear on McGregor, but that being said, McGregor has fought at welterweight before and he’s got the best reflexes and timing that the game has ever seen.

“There’s a lot more tape of Max than McGregor recently, so it makes it tricky.”

McGregor defeated Holloway in their 2013 bout, but that was much earlier in their careers when both men were featherweight contenders on the rise.

The rematch will be far different, with McGregor looking to reignite his career and Holloway stepping up to 170 pounds to seek redemption and a huge payday.

“I’m not surprised to see Conor back, but I think Max is probably gonna be too much for him,” Volkanovski told nine.com.au last month.

“Conor is gonna be dangerous early though. People are acting like he’s completely fallen off, but the power is gonna be there and he’s still gonna be sharp, you don’t lose that. Is he exactly what he used to be? No, but he can still be dangerous.

“How long can he maintain that for? I don’t know.

“Even if Conor does land some good shots, the later that fight goes, you’re gonna see Conor start to slow down and that’s when I think Max will have his way.

“Whether you love or hate him, he obviously knows how to draw attention and eyes to the sport, so it’s gonna be a huge event.”

The return of the Irish megastar has also sparked talks of Volkanovski finally ticking off his bucket-list fight against McGregor at some stage.

While he’s the current featherweight king, Volkanovski has no issue moving up in weight classes to take on McGregor and the “circus” that comes with it.

“I don’t care about the weight, people have seen that I will fight at any weight - if that fight was to come about, it doesn’t get much bigger,” he said.

“He is a champion I haven’t faced and it’s a fight I always wanted because he’s a champion I haven’t beaten either. It’s something I’ve always talked about, not just because of the circus that comes with Conor, there are other layers to it.”

UFC 329 will take place on Sunday (AEST), with fan-favourite Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett in the co-main event against Benoit Saint Denis.

The undercard will also feature the UFC debut of Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson, who is undefeated in his three MMA fights to date.

Steveson tried his hand with WWE and even pushed for an NFL career, before he started training with Jon Jones and transitioned into MMA.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of McGregor vs Holloway II.

When is UFC 329?

Conor McGregor will return to take on Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 on Sunday, July 12 (AEST).

What time is UFC 329 in Australia?

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The pay-per-view will begin at 11am with the main fight likely to begin after 1pm.

How to watch UFC 329 in Australia

UFC 329 can be purchased on Main Event through either Foxtel or Kayo Sports and will cost viewers $60 AUD.

The prelim card can be streamed via Paramount Plus.

Where is UFC 329?

UFC 329 will be held from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and is the headline act for the promotion’s annual International Fight Week.

UFC 329 full fight card

Main card

• Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway - welterweight
• Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint Denis - lightweight
• Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista - bantamweight
• Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh - flyweight
• King Green vs Terrance McKinney - lightweight

Prelim card

• Robert Whittaker vs Nikita Krylov - light heavyweight
• Gable Steveson vs Elisha Ellison - heavyweight
• Cody Garbrandt vs Adrian Yanez - bantamweight
• Luke Riley vs Kai Kamaka III - featherweight

Early prelim card

• Tracey Cortez vs Wang Cong - women’s flyweight
• Damian Pinas - Cesar Almeida - middleweight
• Farid Basharat vs John Garza - bantamweight
• Ryan Gandra vs Zachary Reese - middleweight
• Alessandro Costa vs Cody Durden - flyweight

How old is Conor McGregor?

Conor McGregor is 37 years old, but will turn 38 on July 14.

When was Conor McGregor’s last fight?

Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since his 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, where he suffered a gruesome broken leg.

Conor McGregor MMA record

Conor McGregor has a professional record of 22 wins and six losses, with 19 of his victories coming by knockout or TKO.

Max Holloway MMA record

Max Holloway has a professional record of 27 wins and nine losses, with 12 of those victories coming by knockout or TKO.