Max Holloway heads into UFC 329 this weekend in one of the stranger matchups of his career: a rematch with Conor McGregor, set for welterweight on July 11 in Las Vegas, even though Holloway has never fought at 170 pounds in the UFC while McGregor has previous experience there. Two former featherweight champions are meeting again more than a decade after their first fight, but this time the weight class is part of the story.
Max Holloway Faces Conor McGregor at Welterweight
Max Holloway does not sound bothered by that jump. Speaking with Stake about how the fight came together, he said:
“I was on vacation, bro, you know? Like, right after my last fight, me and my wife, we love taking a trip after fights. And I was on vacation in Japan, and they kind of floated the idea to us, but, actually, before the vacation, actually, before I was going on my trip, they kind of floated the idea to us that, like, hey, you might fight Conor McGregor. And I was like, holy shit, okay!
“You know, but the catch is, it’s at 170. I’m like, I don’t care if it’s at heavyweight, you know what I mean? Like, a Conor McGregor fight is a big fight, so sign me up. And then, when I actually was on the vacation, that’s when they actually sent the contract, and we found out that it was International Fight Week, so it was amazing, man. You know, we knew for quite some time, but nothing’s really signed until you hear the other side being signed. So, we had to wait a little—wait for a minute on that, and they figured it out, and now we’re here, you know? Days away, and I’m excited.”
This is a big-name fight, a return bout with one of the sport’s biggest draws, and Holloway made clear that the number on the scale was not going to be the reason he passed on it. It is officially the main event as a five-round welterweight fight at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, making it McGregor’s first UFC appearance since his 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier and Holloway’s first move to welterweight.
McGregor beat Holloway by unanimous decision in August 2013, back when both were rising at featherweight, and that fight now gets a sequel 13 years later on one of the company’s biggest weeks of the year. Since then, McGregor went on to win the UFC featherweight title and later the UFC lightweight title, becoming the first fighter in company history to hold two UFC belts at the same time. He has also competed above lightweight before, including welterweight fights against Nate Diaz twice and Donald Cerrone once, so the weight is unusual for Holloway much more than it is for McGregor.
The UFC Knows They Can Rely on Max Holloway
That is what makes the matchup stand out. Holloway is a former featherweight champion who has already shown he can take meaningful fights outside his old division, including his move back to lightweight for the BMF title bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. He won that fight with a last-second knockout at 4:59 of the fifth round, one of the signature finishes of his career, and added another major moment to a run of high-profile assignments from the promotion.
Holloway pointed to that pattern himself when he spoke about the trust the UFC has shown him. He said:
“You know, it’s always cool. It’s always a good feeling knowing that the UFC can trust you with these kinds of big fights. You know, and I was put in these big fights for quite some time, you know? UFC 300, and the BMF title fight, for the retirement for, going to a new city in Louisiana with Dustin. And then another BMF title fight, and now we’re here. So, at the end of the day, it’s great to know that I’m one of UFC’s guys, and that they know that I can bring in a crowd. It’s always good, it’s always a great feeling that you know the company behind you is standing behind you 100%.”
Holloway challenged Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt at UFC 300 in April 2024 and won it, then later defended that title against Dustin Poirier in Poirier’s retirement fight at UFC 318 in July 2025. So when Holloway says the UFC keeps turning to him for major spots, he is describing a recent pattern rather than selling a line.
UFC 329 is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week, with McGregor vs. Holloway 2 set as the main event at welterweight.
