After eight months of speculation, the UFC finally revealed the full lineup for its highly anticipated Freedom 250 card during the UFC 326 broadcast, set for June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn of the White House. While many fans were expecting the long-awaited return of Conor McGregor against Michael Chandler, the promotion instead opted for a championship-heavy lineup, headlined by two major title fights featuring Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria.
That said, momentum is quietly building around McGregor’s return for the July 11 International Fight Week card, expected to be UFC 329. Ariel Helwani has suggested that the promotion needs its biggest draw now more than ever, with talks pointing toward a potential rematch against Max Holloway, more than a decade after their first meeting in August 2013, this time at welterweight.
Although Dana White has acknowledged ongoing negotiations with the former double champion, nothing has been made official yet. In the meantime, McGregor made a surprise return, just not inside the Octagon.
On Friday, he stepped back into a boxing ring for an exhibition bout against Barry Nolan at the Crumlin Boxing Club in Dublin, Ireland, as part of its Good Friday showcase. The venue holds personal significance for McGregor, who began his journey as a child at Phil Sutcliffe Sr.’s gym and still uses it for boxing training today.
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Wearing protective gear, McGregor competed in a three-round exhibition and appeared sharp, earning a pair of standing eight-counts. The bout, which also featured his cameraman and Misfits Boxing personality Dave Fogarty, was contested at a measured pace, but still delivered moments of flair.
Footage quickly surfaced online, showing McGregor landing a clean uppercut and showboating for the crowd in Crumlin, fans who paid just €10 (around $11.50) for a rare up-close glimpse of the global superstar.
The contest lasted three rounds of three minutes each, with reports indicating that McGregor scored standing eight-counts in both the second and third rounds. While the exhibition carried no official stakes, it marked a significant step forward in his comeback journey.
Back in April 2019, McGregor headlined the same Good Friday Show where he faced Irish amateur Micheal McGrane in the main event. The closely contested bout ended in a draw, much to the delight of a packed local crowd. It wasn’t his first appearance at the famed fundraiser either, as McGregor had previously competed at the event early in his career, around 2004, and has maintained strong ties with the club ever since.
Organized by Phil Sutcliffe Sr., these sessions have long been a staple of Irish boxing, blending rising amateur talent with appearances from elite-level fighters. McGregor has stepped into a professional boxing ring only once, his 2017 blockbuster showdown with Floyd Mayweather, where he was stopped via TKO in the 10th round.
Inside the Octagon, his last outing came in 2021 at UFC 264, where he suffered a gruesome leg injury in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. For those unfamiliar, McGregor’s absence from live professional competition has now stretched close to five years. While uncertainty still surrounds his next opponent, this latest exhibition appearance serves as an encouraging sign that the former double champ’s long-awaited return may finally be drawing closer.
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.