Conor McGregor’s desire to run it back with Max Holloway for his final UFC fight appears stronger than ever. The Irishman finally returned to the Octagon at UFC 329 after more than 1,800 days away, but his comeback didn’t go as planned.
McGregor tore his ACL and meniscus before eventually losing to Max Holloway in just 69 seconds. He has since undergone knee surgery and is now facing another potential year-long layoff.
Despite the setback, McGregor remains determined to fight out the final bout of his current UFC contract. And if he gets his way, Holloway will be standing across the Octagon from him.
For those unaware, the Irishman underwent surgery in August and has indicated that he wants to return during International Fight Week in 2027. If that happens, it would reportedly be the final fight on his current UFC deal.
Conor McGregor Wants a Big-Name Opponent if Max Holloway Isn’t Available
Speaking at the BKFC Glasgow press conference, McGregor once again made it clear that he wants a rematch with Holloway above all else.
He said, “It has to be Holloway. Just do the f*cking thing again. Just do the thing again. The guy didn’t engage once. He’s the one that called for the stoppage in the fight. He said, ‘Ref, ref.’ He’s the one stopping the fight. Imagine I just said, ‘Yay’ and jumped the fence: ‘I won.’ He doesn’t want to fcking fight.”
McGregor’s explanation might raise a few eyebrows, considering he was physically compromised after attempting his opening jumping-kick sequence. Nevertheless, the former two-division champion isn’t interested in moving on from Holloway just yet.
He added, “On the one leg, he wasn’t coming near me. So shocking and so heartbreaking to me, and I’m still f*cking dealing with it. It has to be Holloway. Just f*cking dust it off and redo it.”
McGregor also provided an update on his rehabilitation, suggesting that he could return before the summer of 2027. However, he left the door open to facing someone else if a rematch with Holloway doesn’t materialize.
He said, “I’m on my way back. What’s it now, November? Three months I’m off of surgery. I done this injury before and returned within nine months. So nine months is pre-summer. I just want to go again and again.”
That said, McGregor isn’t willing to entertain just anyone as a potential replacement. The Irishman insisted that anyone calling him out must have an established reputation, preferably as a world champion or a former titleholder.
He added, “Something might happen, I don’t know. But a fighter that fights me, put some respect on my name. If you’re not a world champion fighter, if you’ve not got world accolades to your name, don’t utter my f*cking name.”
He concluded with, “If you’re a national champion, if you’re a f*cking regional champion, if you’ve don’t f*ck all but got a few likes, go f*ck yourself. Don’t mention my f*cking name. I said a world-caliber fighter.”
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
