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UFC icon Conor McGregor is set to make his long-anticipated return at UFC 329 in July in a headlining rematch against Max Holloway following a five-year hiatus from the octagon. UFC president Dana White announced the matchup Saturday night during the UFC Fight Night broadcast that aired the same time as the novelty Netflix MMA card that saw women's mixed-martial arts legend and former UFC champion Ronda Rousey return from a 10-year layoff to defeat Gina Carano in 17 seconds.

The 37-year-old McGregor is widely regarded as the most influential fighter in the history of the UFC promotion and a driving force behind the current global popularity of MMA. With his win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016 for the lightweight championship, McGregor became the promotion's first active two-division champion. Others who followed suit include Daniel Cormier (light heavyweight and heavyweight), Amanda Nunes (bantamweight and featherweight) and Henry Cejudo (flyweight and bantamweight). Cejudo remains the only UFC fighter to have successfully defended his belts in both divisions.

Active fighters who have won titles in two divisions include Alex Pereira (light heavyweight and heavyweight), Ilia Topuria (featherweight and lightweight) and Islam Makhachev (lightweight and welterweight), but all three vacated the belts in their original weight classes before moving up in weight class and capturing a second title, so none were active champions in multiple divisions.

McGregor's fourth-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229 in October 2018 remains the UFC's highest-selling, pay-per-view event in the promotion's history.

The UFC 329 rematch against Holloway, the former featherweight champion, is set for July 11 at T-Mobile Arena during International Fight Week and will be contested at welterweight (170 pounds). McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is 2-1 in his career at welterweight, with wins over Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz, while Holloway has never competed at welterweight.

The UFC 329 rematch against Holloway (27-9, 23-9 UFC), who McGregor defeated by decision in an August 2013 three-round fight while both were featherweight prospects, will come nearly five years to the day after his last appearance with the promotion. On July 10, 2021, he was stopped by rival Dustin Poirier for the second time in a six-month span and hasn't won a UFC fight since his first-round stoppage of Cerrone in January 2020. He has lost three of his past four and is 3-4 in his last seven UFC fights dating to his defeat against Diaz in March 2016.

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Holloway, 34, embarked on a 13-fight winning streak following the loss to McGregor to establish himself as one of the UFC's beloved figures and most reliable showmen. The native Hawaiian's run included capturing the featherweight title and making two title defenses, along with several high-profile appearances on major cards. He is best known for knocking out Justin Gaethje with one second remaining in their classic five-round slugfest on the UFC 300 card in April 2024.

Holloway won the mythical "BMF" title with his victory over Gaethje but lost that distinction in his lopsided five-round defeat to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 in March, Holloway's most recent appearance in the octagon. He will be making a 15-pound leap from lightweight to face McGregor at welterweight. 

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McGregor suffered a broken tibia and fibula in his July 2021 loss to Poirier. The brash Irishman promised a speedy return upon his recovery, but his UFC comeback has yet to materialize. He was originally scheduled to face former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 in June 2024 but withdrew two weeks ahead of the event because of a toe injury suffered in training camp. It marked the first time McGregor has withdrawn from a scheduled fight in his career for any reason.

Sportsbooks immediately responded to the news of the McGregor vs. Holloway rematch and installed Holloway as a sizable favorite, in large part because of question's surrounding McGregor's competitive viability following a five-year layoff against Holloway, who remains in his late prime. BetMGM has Holloway posted as a -550 favorite, with McGregor priced at +350, by far the longest underdog odds for the Irishman in his UFC career. Other betting outlets have reported an immediate price movement on Holloway as high as -700, just hours after live odds were posted on their UFC 329 rematch. The second longest MMA underdog odds for McGregor came when he was priced at +160 against Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.

In addition to the McGregor vs. Holloway main event, White announced numerous other confirmed fights for the UFC 329 card. They include a compelling co-main event matchup between lightweight contenders Benoit Saint-Denis (-200) and Paddy Pimblett (+170).  

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