McGregor vs Holloway 2 at UFC 329: Everything You Need to Know

Conor McGregor is coming back, and he picked a brutal way to do it. After five years away from the Octagon, the biggest star the sport has ever produced returns at UFC 329 on Saturday, July 11, 2026 to rematch Max Holloway, a man he beat as a 21-year-old kid back in 2013 and who has since become one of the greatest fighters alive. This is the full guide: when it is, where to watch, the whole card, the odds, the history, and who we think wins. You can rate how hyped you are for this fight, and every fight on the card, on Good Fights.

When is McGregor vs Holloway 2?

McGregor vs Holloway 2 takes place on Saturday, July 11, 2026. It headlines UFC 329 during International Fight Week, the UFC's biggest annual weekend in Las Vegas. The main card is expected to begin at 9 p.m. ET, with the McGregor-Holloway walkouts landing later in the night, likely around 11:30 p.m. Eastern or later depending on how the earlier fights play out.

Where is UFC 329 being held?

UFC 329 is at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the UFC's marquee venue on the Strip. It is the same building that has hosted many of the promotion's biggest nights, and for International Fight Week it will be packed. Expect a heavily pro-McGregor crowd, with a strong Irish contingent making the trip as they always do.

How do I watch McGregor vs Holloway 2?

In the United States, UFC 329 streams on Paramount+. The main card, prelims, and early prelims all run through Paramount+ (with early action also on UFC Fight Pass), and you will need a subscription to watch the main card live. Viewers outside the US: see how to watch in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Europe.

Is UFC 329 a pay-per-view? How much does it cost?

In the United States, UFC numbered events like UFC 329 are included with a Paramount+ subscription rather than sold as a separate one-time pay-per-view purchase. That means no extra hundred-dollar PPV fee on top of your subscription, a significant change from how McGregor's previous fights were sold. This is the US model, though. Several countries, including Canada and Australia, still sell the main card as a separate pay-per-view, which we break down in the international section below. Check the current pricing for your country before fight night.

What time does McGregor vs Holloway 2 start?

The schedule for UFC 329 is built around U.S. prime time. Here are the expected start times for the broadcast segments:

• Early prelims: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT
• Prelims: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
• Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT

The McGregor vs Holloway main event is the last fight of the night. As a rule of thumb, the headliners walk out somewhere between two and three hours after the main card begins, so plan for a late-night ring entrance.

How can I watch McGregor vs Holloway 2 outside the US? (Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, Europe)

Paramount+ is the UFC's home in the United States, but the rest of the world is a patchwork of different broadcasters and, in some places, the old pay-per-view model. Here is where to find UFC 329 in the major markets. Confirm the exact channel and price closer to fight night, since rights and PPV pricing shift:

• Canada: UFC still runs on a pay-per-view model here. The main card is on Sportsnet+ (subscription from around C$30 per month), with the pay-per-view itself priced around C$60 for the event, while early prelims air on linear Sportsnet and TSN.
• United Kingdom: TNT Sports carries the card, streamed through discovery+, with replays available on HBO Max. Because of the time difference the main card starts around 2 a.m. BST on Sunday, July 12, and the McGregor walkout lands a couple of hours after that.
• Ireland: McGregor's home market gets the fight on TNT Sports and discovery+, also in the early hours of Sunday, July 12. Expect the main event walkouts somewhere around 4 to 5 a.m. local time, so set an alarm and make the coffee strong.
• Australia: The main card is a pay-per-view through Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel (you do not need a Kayo subscription to order it). The prelims stream on Paramount+ and Network 10, with early prelims on Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass.
• Europe: It varies by country. DAZN is the UFC's home across much of the continent, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and there the event is included with a subscription rather than sold as a separate pay-per-view. In markets without a local rights holder, UFC Fight Pass is the worldwide fallback.

What is the full UFC 329 fight card?

UFC 329 is a stacked 12-fight card. The announced lineup includes:

• Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway 2 (Welterweight, main event)
• Benoit Saint-Denis vs Paddy Pimblett (Lightweight, co-main)
• Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista 2 (Bantamweight)
• Robert Whittaker vs Nikita Krylov (Light Heavyweight)
• Brandon Royval vs Lone'er Kavanagh (Flyweight)
• Gable Steveson vs Elisha Ellison (Heavyweight)
• Cody Garbrandt vs Adrian Yanez (Bantamweight)
• Tracy Cortez vs Wang Cong (Flyweight)
• Plus several more bouts across the prelims

Card placement and matchups can change in the weeks before the event, so treat the undercard order as provisional until fight week.

Who is on the UFC 329 co-main event?

The co-main event is a lightweight showdown between Benoit Saint-Denis and Paddy Pimblett. It is a genuinely big fight on its own. Pimblett is one of the UFC's fastest-rising stars and a massive draw in the UK, while Saint-Denis is a relentless, all-action French finisher. For many fans this is the second-most anticipated fight on the card, and it gives UFC 329 real depth beyond the headliner.

What weight class is McGregor vs Holloway 2? Is it a title fight?

McGregor vs Holloway 2 is a welterweight bout (170 pounds), and it is a non-title fight. There is no belt on the line, including no BMF title. That detail matters more than it looks. Both men made their names in lighter divisions, McGregor at featherweight and lightweight, Holloway at featherweight, so seeing them meet at 170 pounds is a notable choice that favors the bigger, fresher version of each fighter rather than the one grinding through a hard weight cut.

Did McGregor and Holloway fight before? Who won?

Yes. They fought once before, more than a decade ago, and Conor McGregor won by unanimous decision. The two met on August 17, 2013 at a UFC Fight Night card in Boston, early in both of their careers. McGregor was a brash Irish prospect the American audience was just getting to know. Holloway was a 21-year-old up-and-comer. McGregor controlled the fight and took a clear decision on all three judges' scorecards.

McGregor on his way to a unanimous-decision win over a 21-year-old Max Holloway. Boston, August 2013.

What happened in the first McGregor vs Holloway fight?

Here is the wild part, and the detail that makes this rematch so strange: McGregor beat Holloway while tearing his ACL during the fight. He hurt the knee partway through, switched to a more measured, control-heavy approach to protect it, and still won every round on the way to a decision. He then needed surgery and a long layoff afterward. So the only meeting between these two saw a half-injured McGregor outpoint a barely-formed version of the man Holloway would become. That is not a result you can lean on too heavily 13 years later.

How have McGregor and Holloway changed since 2013?

Completely. In 2013 they were both prospects. Since then, McGregor became a two-division UFC champion, the face of the sport, and the biggest pay-per-view draw in its history, then spent years split between fighting, boxing, business, and injury recovery. Holloway went on an entirely different trajectory: he became one of the greatest featherweights of all time, set the UFC record for significant strikes landed, captured the BMF title with a legendary buzzer-beater knockout of Justin Gaethje, and built a reputation as one of the toughest, highest-output fighters the sport has ever seen. The kid McGregor beat does not exist anymore.

Why are McGregor and Holloway fighting again?

The rematch is built on star power, history, and timing. McGregor wanted a marquee return that the whole world would watch, and a do-over against a now-elite Holloway is exactly that kind of story. For the UFC, putting McGregor's comeback in the International Fight Week main event is the biggest possible draw for its biggest weekend. The 13-year gap between fights, plus everything both men have become since, gives the promotion a narrative that sells itself.

How long has Conor McGregor been out of action?

A long time. McGregor's last fight was in July 2021, when he suffered a gruesome broken leg at the end of the first round of his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier. That means he will step into the Octagon at UFC 329 after roughly five years away from competition. Ring rust, the leg, his age, and the quality of the opponent are all reasons this is a far harder comeback than a star return usually looks on paper.

Tale of the tape: McGregor vs Holloway 2

Here is how the two compare heading into the fight:

• Age: McGregor is 37 (turning 38 days after the fight), Holloway is 34
• Height: McGregor 5 foot 9, Holloway 5 foot 11
• Reach: McGregor 74 inches, Holloway 69 inches
• Stance: McGregor fights southpaw, while Holloway is primarily orthodox and switches to southpaw dynamically
• Pro MMA record: McGregor 22-6, Holloway 27-9 (per UFC.com)
• Calling card: McGregor's left hand and one-punch power, Holloway's volume, durability, and championship-level cardio

McGregor owns the power and a small reach edge. Holloway owns activity, output, and an iron chin.

What are the betting odds for McGregor vs Holloway 2?

The opening odds tell the whole story of how the fight is viewed. Max Holloway is a heavy favorite, with lines ranging from roughly -400 to -550 across major sportsbooks. Conor McGregor is the underdog at +350 or longer, which is reported to be the longest underdog price of his entire UFC career. Those numbers imply Holloway has roughly an 80 percent chance to win. Lines will move as fight week approaches and money comes in, so check current odds before placing anything.

Why is McGregor such a big underdog?

A few reasons stack up against him. He is the older fighter, he is coming off a five-year layoff and a serious leg injury, and he is facing an opponent who has stayed elite and active the entire time. Holloway's pressure, volume, and chin are a nightmare matchup for a fighter who relies on timing and explosive early offense, especially one who has not been tested in years. Oddsmakers are not betting against McGregor's talent. They are betting against the layoff, the age, and the specific style he has to solve.

How does Conor McGregor win this fight?

McGregor's path is the one it has always been: land the left hand early. He is at his most dangerous in the first round, when he is fresh, sharp, and hunting for the counter left straight. If he can catch Holloway clean before the fight settles into deep waters, his power is more than enough to end any night.

It is not only about the early blitz, though. McGregor has shown he can fight a disciplined, tactical fight when the situation demands it. In his 2016 rematch with Nate Diaz he boxed patiently, managed his output, leaned on heavy leg kicks, and dug in for a hard five-round decision rather than swinging for a finish. If he has used the long layoff to rebuild that kind of conditioning and ring craft, a measured McGregor who picks his moments and survives the deep water is a far more dangerous problem for Holloway than a one-round gambler.

How does Max Holloway win this fight?

Holloway's path is to make it a long fight. His volume, footwork, and relentless output tend to break opponents down over five rounds, and he has the cardio and the chin to wade through McGregor's early power and then take over. If Holloway weathers the opening exchanges, pressures McGregor into the championship rounds, and turns it into a pace fight, the numbers and the history of late-career McGregor both point his way.

Who wins McGregor vs Holloway 2? Our prediction

Honestly, the smart money is on Holloway, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. A five-year layoff, a surgically repaired leg, and the wrong stylistic matchup against a fighter at the peak of his craft is a very hard ask, even for the greatest draw the sport has ever had. The most likely outcome is Holloway weathering an early McGregor surge and taking over as the fight gets deep.

But this is McGregor, and the one thing he has always had is the puncher's chance. He needs roughly one clean left hand in the first ten minutes. That is a real, live path, and it is exactly why the whole world will be watching. Prediction: Holloway by late stoppage or decision, with a genuine asterisk for McGregor's power early.

What are the stakes for Conor McGregor?

Everything that is left. At his age, after this layoff, a loss to Holloway would make it very hard to argue he is still a contender at the top level, and it would likely turn his remaining run into legacy and spectacle fights rather than serious title chases. A win, on the other hand, would be one of the great comeback stories in combat sports history and would instantly put a championship run, or a megafight, back on the table.

What are the stakes for Max Holloway?

For Holloway, this is the rare chance to settle an old score and cash the biggest check of his life at the same time. He is already recognized as one of the greatest to ever do it, a former featherweight king, a former BMF champion, and the author of some of the most beloved performances of the modern era. The one thing missing from that resume is a win over Conor McGregor. Avenging the only blemish from their shared history, on the sport's biggest stage and in front of the largest audience he will ever fight for, would erase that lone asterisk and stand as a signature, era-defining night.

Is this Conor McGregor's last fight?

Nobody knows, and McGregor himself has gone back and forth on retirement for years. What is clear is that, at 37 going on 38 and five years removed from his last bout, the result of this fight will heavily shape whatever comes next. A loss could push him toward legacy and exhibition-style fights. A win would likely keep him fighting at the top for at least another bout or two. Treat any "final fight" talk as speculation until he says so himself.

How do I get tickets to UFC 329?

Tickets for UFC 329 are sold through the official UFC ticketing channels and the T-Mobile Arena box office, with resale available on the usual secondary markets. Because this is McGregor's return and the International Fight Week headliner, demand is extremely high and prices reflect it. If you want to be in the building, buy through official or reputable verified-resale sources only, and be cautious of scalpers and fake listings around an event this big.

Could there be a McGregor vs Holloway 3?

A trilogy is entirely possible, and it depends on what happens July 11. If the fight is close, controversial, or a barnburner, a third fight sells itself, especially given the 13-year gap that already makes this rematch a novelty. If it is one-sided, the appetite cools quickly. For now it is a fun hypothetical, but a competitive, dramatic UFC 329 main event is the surest way to guarantee we get a McGregor vs Holloway 3 down the line.

Quick answers about UFC 329

• Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026
• Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
• Main event: Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway 2, welterweight, non-title
• Co-main: Benoit Saint-Denis vs Paddy Pimblett
• Where to watch: Paramount+ (US); Sportsnet+ PPV (Canada); TNT Sports / discovery+ (UK and Ireland); Main Event PPV (Australia); DAZN (much of Europe)
• Main card start: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
• Favorite: Max Holloway (roughly -400 to -550)
• First fight: McGregor won by unanimous decision in Boston, August 2013

Related reading

• Max Holloway: how the kid Conor McGregor beat became a legend - the full arc from 2013 prospect to one of the greatest featherweights ever.
• Conor McGregor's long road back: why he hasn't fought since 2021 - the broken leg, the cancelled comeback, and five years away.

This is the kind of fight you will want to remember exactly how you felt about. Rate McGregor vs Holloway 2, log your prediction, and track every fight on the card on Good Fights. Never miss a Good Fight.