Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
UFC 329 · July 11, 2026 · T-Mobile Arena
Max Holloway def. Conor McGregor — TKO (knee injury), R1 1:09
Five years of waiting ended in 69 seconds, and not in any of the ways the pre-fight read imagined. McGregor opened with a jumping kick, landed badly, and injured his knee — he slipped to the canvas twice trying to continue before referee Mike Beltran waved it off after McGregor took an unsteady step back from a Holloway kick. The prediction said a decision was the least likely outcome; technically true, but nobody's game plan ever got tested. Holloway, visibly frustrated at winning without fighting, immediately called for a trilogy.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
Expect a pure striking match — neither man shoots takedowns. The first ten minutes belong to McGregor's danger window: if the counter left lands clean, Holloway's famous chin gets its hardest test at a new weight. If Holloway survives rounds one and two, this flips into his fight — volume, body work, and pace against a 37-year-old on a five-year layoff. Early knockout or late stoppage; a decision is the least likely outcome.
The Matchup
This is a rematch 13 years in the making — McGregor outpointed a young Holloway in 2013, the last time either man saw a decision the same way. The math is simple: McGregor is the harder single-shot hitter (19 KOs, elite southpaw counter left), Holloway is the higher-volume machine (6.91 strikes landed per minute, most strikes in UFC history). McGregor historically fades after round two; Holloway gets stronger. The wild cards are a five-year layoff at age 37 versus Holloway absorbing welterweight power for the first time — with a 5-inch reach disadvantage on paper but a style built to survive early storms.
Tale of the Tape
| Conor McGregor | Max Holloway | |
|---|---|---|
| 22-6 | Record | 27-9 |
| 37 | Age | 34 |
| 5'9" | Height | 5'11" |
| 74" | Reach | 69" |
| Southpaw | Stance | Orthodox |
| Ireland | Country | United States |
| SBG Ireland | Team | Gracie Technics (Hawaii) |
The Numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
Conor McGregor
“The Notorious”
Former simultaneous featherweight and lightweight champion with a Dublin boxing base and a BJJ black belt under John Kavanagh. The left hand made him the biggest star in the sport — 19 of 22 wins by knockout. He hasn't fought since breaking his tibia against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, a five-year layoff, and returns at 37.
- LDustin Poirier · TKO (doctor stoppage, broken tibia)UFC 264 · July 10, 2021
- LDustin Poirier · KO (punches)UFC 257 · January 23, 2021
- WDonald Cerrone · TKO, R1 0:40UFC 246 · January 18, 2020
Max Holloway
“Blessed”
Former featherweight champion and the UFC's all-time leader in significant strikes landed. A Hawaiian volume boxer who breaks opponents with pace and chin, he beat McGregor's teammates' hearts out for a decade but lost to Conor himself as a 21-year-old in 2013. Coming off a decision loss to Charles Oliveira that cost him the BMF title; this is his welterweight debut.
- LCharles Oliveira · Decision (unanimous)UFC 326 · March 7, 2026
- WDustin Poirier · Decision (unanimous)UFC 318 · July 19, 2025
- LIlia Topuria · KO, R3 1:34UFC 308 · October 26, 2024