Conor McGregor-Max Holloway Fight ‘On the Goal Line' for UFC 329: Report

Rumors have intensified in recent days, largely due to comments made by UFC President Dana White on "The Jim Rome Show," where he suggested Conor McGregor is nearing a deal to return this summer.

McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken ankle in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier.

White said he is "very confident" McGregor will fight again soon, although no contract has officially been signed and no opponent has been announced.

However, longtime MMA and boxing reporter Ariel Helwani reported that McGregor and the UFC are "on the goal line" of finalizing a deal for a rematch against Max Holloway during International Fight Week at UFC 329 on July 11.

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"I was the first person to tell you Conor was coming back, I was the first person to tell you it was going to be Conor versus Max, I'm still the only one," Helwani said. "I can't dictate or decide when they are going to announce things because that's arbitrary. What I can tell you are the facts. So I will never get wrong fight bookings, matchups, things of that nature."

Helwani continued by emphasizing how close the fight appears to being finalized.

"They're on the goal line. Right now, goal line. I never said it's signed, sealed, and delivered. It will be. I just want to be clear. I'm not walking that back. Something awful has to happen for this to not happen on July 11."

McGregor and Holloway last fought more than a decade ago in 2013 at a UFC Fight Night event, where McGregor earned a unanimous decision victory.

At the time, Holloway was just 21 years old and far less experienced than the version of himself that has since become one of the UFC's most accomplished fighters. That makes a potential rematch especially intriguing, as Holloway would present a major challenge for McGregor coming off a five-year absence from the Octagon.

Holloway most recently competed against Charles Oliveira for the BMF title, though he came up short in that bout.

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 5:52 PM.