Those predicting a Conor McGregor announcement to counter the MVP MMA 1 card were proven correct.
Before the UFC Vegas 117 main event, just as Francis Ngannou vs. Phillipe Lins was getting underway, the UFC dropped a promo confirming the second encounter between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway.
The fight will headline UFC 329, which will take place on July 11 in Las Vegas, serving as the card for this year’s UFC International Fight Week. The bout, as reported by the New York Post, will take place at welterweight.
This will be McGregor’s first fight in five years, having not fought since losing his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
Holloway last fought in March, dropping the BMF title to Charles Oliveira at UFC 326.
UFC 329 Revealed, Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 To Headline
In addition to the main event, the broadcast also revealed the rest of the UFC 329 card.
The co-main event will be a key lightweight matchup as Benoit Saint-Denis battles Paddy Pimblett. BSD comes into this bout on a four-fight win streak, most recently finishing Dan Hooker at UFC 325. Pimblett will enter this fight off his loss to Justin Gaethje in the interim lightweight title main event at UFC 324.
UFC 329 will also feature the UFC debut of former Olympic gold medalist and multiple-time NCAA wrestling champion Gable Stevenson, as he takes on Elisha Ellison.
The rest of the UFC 329 main card will feature Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista and Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanaugh.
The prelims will be headlined by former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker taking on Nikita Krylov.